One Piece My Version
by KennyG
Summary: A sort of revised version of the One Piece that contains the storyline and bits and parts from the movies except for Movie 3. Powerful Luffy, Non-flirtatious Sanji with mysterious past. Main pairings: Luffy/Boa Hancock, Sanji/Nami. Chapter 3 revised.
1. Prologue pt1: Birth of Blackbeard

**One Piece: My Version**

This is basically a retelling of series (with no filler arcs, Thank God!). But with a few interesting twists. First What if there was an island where it was heavily guarded by Marines. What if that island was the source of all the Devil Fruits in a single, giant tree? What if that island was claimed by the World Government? What if, the forces of Fate and Nature decided to interfere? And what if there was an equivalently powerful Paramecia-type fruit as the Yami-Yami no Mi.

I don't own One Piece, Eichiro Oda does.

* * *

(Grand Line- 10 years ago)

Hikari Island a.k.a. Devil Fruit Island was the birthplace of all the Devil Fruits that sprouted from the Devil Tree's branches. The tree itself was larger than the one in Ohara.

The World Government claimed this land for their own private agenda to serve their ambitions of a 'Dark Justice'.

The Marines had created a strong fort to guard the Devil Tree. They named it 'Fort Jericho'. It was known to be as heavily guarded as Impel Down.

But because no pirate would dare to come and steal from Jericho, guard duty was extremely dull.

Most of the guards were just playing card games, sleeping or pretending to act 'cool' in the face of danger.

Suddenly without warning, a random torrent of wind blew into the holding area of the tree.

The soldiers were startled, thinking it was an unknown enemy, began to fire their rifles all over the place.

One of bullets ricocheted of a stone wall and sped towards the branches holding the nearest devil fruit. It managed to snap two Devil Fruits off of the tree and they both fell down to the ground.

However, before they could reach mid-fall, another gust hit the corridor, this time it came back as strong as ever.

While the idiotic marines were still firing, that same torrent of wind picked up the two fruits and carried them through as small window through which the tree's branches extended through.

With two 'pops' the fruits were still being carried by the unseen force of nature and into the swirling currents of the ocean.

* * *

(In the New World- 8 years later)

Thatch was the 4th division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Currently, Whitebeard decided to set up camp in one of his crew's claimed territories to relax for a few days.

Thatch took this opportunity to get in some fishing.

After a few minutes of lazing around, waiting for the catch of the day, he felt a tug on his fishing rod.

He immediately started pulling and pulling. The catch didn't feel too big, but Thatch didn't care as long as he caught something.

With one grand pull, he yanked it out of the water.

The man looked at what he caught and he stared at it in both shock and awe.

It was no fish; it was a weirdly-shaped piece of produce. But Thatch took a closer examination and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

It was a Devil Fruit. And catching a Devil Fruit meant big money.

Thatch's eyes were replaced with Beri signs as his grin widened.

"Hello….money."

(Later at one of the flagships)

Marshall D. Teach was a man of ambition. The only reason he joined up with Whitebeard's crew, was to have a better chance at finding the Devil Fruit he desired.

And then… his plan to become the Pirate King would come to fruition. But until then, he would just bide his time and lay back.

That was when he and the entire 4th division came upon hearing the cheerful cries of their Commander.

"Oooiiii! Everyone on deck, check what I found!"

Teach was disturbed from his nap and begrudgingly got up from his relaxation time.

"What does that idiot want?" he grumbled under his breath.

He pushed his way through the crowd until he saw Thatch holding up something. He got a closer look and his eyes also grew to dinner-plate size.

The fruit itself was oval, colored bleach-white, and had mini-spikes popping out from all the sides. The tips were colored a deep mauve.

Teach narrowed his eyes at the fruit. _'I could have sworn I've seen that fruit before.'_

He slinked away and headed to his own private study. There he found the Akuma no Mi Encyclopedia by Doctor Vegapunk. He quickly skimmed through the basic fruit pages until he landed on the rare category Devil Fruit. He even skipped the page of the desired fruit he needed. His eyes finally caught the picture of the same fruit Thatch found and read the description below the picture to himself.

"The Hiru-Hiru no Mi (Leech-Leech Fruit) is labeled as the most powerful Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that rivals the Yami-Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark fruit)…."

He paused as his nearly dropped the book at the first sentence.

Teach regained composure and began to read again; this time he skipped to the effects.

"Whoever eats this rare fruit is granted with the following in exchange for the ability to swim:"

Healing factor- Extremely high regeneration of wounds.

The ability to absorb and copy strength, knowledge and abilities upon physical contact (both Human and Devil Fruit users) and make them permanent.

Similar to the Yami-Yami no Mi, when active, the user can nullify any Devil Fruit users power's and attacks upon physical contact.

At the end of this description, Teach's grin was as wide as ever.

"Maybe I don't have to wait after all."

He placed the book in his yellow sash and packed the essentials in a duffel bag. Because by tonight, he will be brand-marked a blood traitor in the eyes of Whitebeard.

But all that mattered was his plan.

(Later that night)

Teach found Thatch sitting casually on top of the railing. The rest of the division was fast asleep, meaning good fortune for Teach.

Thatch heard his footsteps come closer, so he turned to greet him in his usual cheerful manner.

"Oh, hey there Teach." Thatch greeted.

Teach grinned his semi-toothless grin in return. "Hey there _sousui_ (commander)."

He turned his eyes to the Devil Fruit Thatch was holding. "So, that Devil Fruit… How'd you get that by the way?"

Thatch told him that it was pure luck that he discovered the Devil Fruit, all because he went fishing.

"Zehahahahaha! This must be your lucky day, huh?" Teach joked.

Thatch laughed along with him. "I suppose your right."

They laughed for a few minutes until it gradually died down. Thatch then saw the duffel bag. He kept his eyes on it as Teach got closer.

"Oi, what's with the-*hrmpgphh*"

He was cut-off when he found his mouth and back of the head grasped tightly in Teach's fist. Teach took advantage of his surprise and quickly snatched the fruit from him.

Teach's grin widened.

"Gomen Thatch, but I can't let you get in the way of my ambition."

This was it. Countless years of patience had finally paid off.

Marshall D. Teach stared down at the Hiru-Hiru no Mi, clenching his jaw and licking his lips in anticipation of the power he was about to gain and bracing himself for the horrible taste he would have to experience

He immediately chomped and chewed the fruit, all while ignoring the foul taste in his mouth. He finally swallowed the mushy bits and pieces in one audible gulp.

"Blerghh….Man that was nasty." he complained while sticking his tongue out to emphasize the distastefulness of the fruit. He then looked down at Thatch, who was still struggling out of his grasp.

He lifted his free hand up and noticed Thatch's horrified expression.

And the reason why was because of the Venus flytrap maws opening up in the palms of Teach's hands.

Teach brought his hand down and a resounding *chomp* was heard around them. He could feel the strength, power and knowledge power into his being. He could feel himself getting stronger and more powerful with Thatch's strength and skills added to his own.

There was no doubt about it. He definitely had no regrets eating this fruit.

When he was finished, he felt like a new man. He couldn't contain his jubilation any longer and let out an uproarious laugh.

**"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"**

He panted heavily and glanced down at his 'leech-hands' as he now called them, were closing up.

"Incredible! I thought this kind of power resided in Logia-types!" he exclaimed

He looked back down to see Thatch as pale as a sheet, and nothing but skin and bones. But he was still breathing and in time, would fully recuperate. However a purple-colored, leech bite mark was made visible on Thatch's neck. The crew would see who did it if Thatch squealed on him and that was something Teach did not want.

The burly man picked up the commander with relative ease, and grasped the now frail, scrawny neck.

"Well ya know what they say Thatch…. always go for the next best thing."

And with a flick of the wrist, he snapped the commander's neck, killing the 4th commander instantly. He looked around; no one was up yet, and dawn wouldn't come until 4 hours later.

Teach quickly got his bag and stole a life-boat. He rowed his way further from Whitebeard and the New World.

The first step of his plan was complete. Now all he needed was an alias to hide under and start a pirate crew.

The name came to him. The polar opposite of Whitebeard.

Blackbeard. That would be his name. And soon the whole world would recognize his power once he found One Piece and become the new Pirate King.

* * *

Chapter 1 is complete.


	2. Prologue pt2: Devil Fruits and Haki

**One Piece: My Version**

Chapter 2: Devil Fruits and Haki, Oh my!

* * *

(On the island of Fuschia Village)

Red-Haired Shanks was one of the Yonkou like his rival Whitebeard, but contrary to the attitudes of the general public about pirates, Shanks was one of the most laid back characters in the world with a complex thinking pattern that no one can predict. He never acted in any way contrary to his being, and he was perfectly happy for who he is.

Right now he was staying at Fuschia Village at the Party's Bar where they drank and celebrated like there was no tomorrow.

Why? Because they were celebrating a courageous little seven-year old that went and stabbed himself in his left eye, leaving a permanent scar.

"I told you I wasn't afraid!!!" yelled the little boy named Monkey D. Luffy who was giving his role model the best angry pout he could give.

"True, you proved me wrong… But you're still a chibi." he teased.

Luffy looked about ready to throw a tantrum.

"SHUT UP!!! STOP CALLING ME CHIBI!!! I'M A MAN!!!" he yelled.

The bartender, Makino thought it was adorable that Luffy wanted to be so much like Shanks. She would always watch over him like an older sister or a mother-figure.

"And…and… My punch is as strong as a pistol!!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, causing the whole crew to laugh out loud.

Shanks decided to humor him. "Okay…" he pointed to the counter of the bar.

"If you can make a dent in this, I'll take you sailing with my crew." he said.

Luffy's scowl was soon replaced with a toothy grin. "REALLY?!!"

Shanks was really just messing with the boy. There was no way that this boy could-

***SMASH***

All heads turned to a destroyed bar counter, and the source of destruction came from Luffy who held a small amount of surprise to himself as well as splinters lodged in his right fist.

The adults, including Shanks, were speechless for once. No one said or did anything for about a minute except stare at Luffy with dumbfounded expressions.

Luffy was confused. "What?" he asked while feeling uncomfortable with all the stares.

Shanks was currently deep in thought at what just happened. '_No way… the force in that punch… it can't be… but… I sensed it… Haki….'_

Luffy remained silent until Shanks walked up to him and knelt down to his level.

"Luffy, do you know what you just did?" The boy shook his head 'no'.

"You destroyed the bar counter with just your fist. That's something only a full-grown man can do. How did you do something only grown-ups can?" he inquired.

The young Luffy looked at the shattered counter then back at Shanks, and then shrugged. "I dunno. I just got so mad that you guys treated me like a baby. Then I felt something flow through me and focused on that counter. I just gave it all I had in that punch and…. that happened."

He rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. "Well, I guess I don't know my own strength."

Shanks still couldn't believe his eyes. A boy no older than 7 had used Haki.

He would have had more time to ponder on the subject, if fate hadn't decided to interfere.

The double-swinging doors opened to reveal a tall, scruffy man with black hair which tied up to a small tail, a mustache-goatee combo and a cross-scar on his upper-right temple of his forehead. He was wearing black pants and a large, brown coat wielding a long saber. Following close behind him was his crew of 20 bandits. He marched his way to Makino and demanded drinks for him and his men, all while boasting about his 8,000,000 bounty.

Shanks became the better man and offered the Bandit Leader an unconsumed drink, to which Higuma responded aggressively by smashing his glass with his scabbard. He then insults Shanks and his crew and takes off.

It was after that…. They partied even harder. Lucky Roo and Yasopp were dancing goofily and laughing their heads off.

Beckman was against the wall with an amused smirk as he downed his drink.

Shanks hadn't stopped laughing since that event had passed. Still he couldn't help but think…_ 'How can he have an ambition that high, especially for a little kid. Then again, he is Dragon's son.'_

Luffy however was mad as hell and let out his frustrations. "What was that?! You should've kicked their asses or something for disrespecting you!!!"

The laughter died down after his outburst and Shanks was the one who answered him.

"Luffy, sometimes you have to know when to pick a fight and when not to pick a fight. Besides, he just broke the mug and spilled some sake, it's not worth getting in a fight." he explained rationally.

Luffy went off to sulk in a corner of the undestroyed section of the bar. He was pouting and grumbling something about his role model's logic, when at the corner of his eye, he spied two, small, open boxes sitting on his right-hand side, containing what appeared to be fruit.

The one closest to his left was a purple fruit made up of many small teardrop shaped parts with swirl patterns, and spreading green leafage sprouting from the top. It has a shape and appearance that closely resembles a pineapple or a bundle of grapes. The second one was a more violet-colored Yubari Melon shaped fruit with more swirls.

Luffy's stomach was telling him to 'eat them' and he was never one to doubt his stomach. Ever. After a few seconds, Luffy began to gorge himself silently on the fruits, starting with the first one closest to him.

Shanks gave the boy a minute to cool off, which was probably not the best idea for him, for as soon as he turned back he saw Luffy finishing off the second Devil Fruit.

He grasped the boy by the legs and started shaking him up and down with all his force but careful not to hurt the tyke.

"Spit it out Luffy!!! All of it!!" he yelled.

"Uh… captain…?" Yasopp beckoned.

"And after all that trouble…!!!"

"Captain…!" Beckman called.

"All that money… Gone!!"

"CAPTAIN!!!" Roo roared.

The captain turned to his crewmates, discontinuing his tirade. "WHAT?!!!"

Yasopp raised a shaky finger to the empty chests. "He ate _both_ of them."

….

….

"NANIIII?!!!" Shanks yelled in disbelief; his eyes the size of dinner-plates.

He turned his head, almost giving himself whiplash. He eyes widened in horror when he saw that indeed both fruits had been consumed. He blanched as he shakily turned his head to the boy in question, who was quite literally 'face-down on the ground' his legs had stretched a few feet.

Shanks pulled the boy up to face him. "Luffy!!! You just ate _two_ Devil Fruits!!!"

Luffy looked a bit panicky and confused. "W-What? I just ate them…. And they tasted really nasty just so you know!!!" he shouted

Shanks shook his head vigorously. "No boy!! No one is supposed to eat two of them!! The effects cause the user to be torn up and killed from the inside out!! So in other words… you're supposed to be DEAD!!!" he shouted back. Luffy's skin color paled considerably, but then realized something important after pausing for a few moments. "B-But… I'm still alive!"

Shanks also took note of that and how the toddler wasn't a bloody mess right now.

"But, how?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small handbook version of the Akuma no Mi Encyclopedia.

He skimmed through until he reached the desired section regarding the first fruit Luffy ate.

'_Yami-Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit) is labeled the most powerful Logia-type fruit as well as the rarest. Whoever consumes this fruit is given the following in exchange for the ability to swim.'_

* * *

The ability to control the darkness and its unique property of gravity.

Damage and attacks become useless as the user is his own center of gravity, thus resulting in regenerative healing and forcibly pull enemies towards the user.

Able to summon black holes and consume anyone and anything into it, effectively crushing them upon release.

The most unique and powerful advantage of the fruit, is that the user also has the ability to nullify the powers of other Devil Fruit users by simply touching them and draining them of their abilities. All powers from other Devil Fruit types, be it Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia are affected by this.

And finally: in the event the person who eats this Devil Fruit, is allowed to consume only one more Devil Fruit, completely ignoring the rules of consuming only one. This allows the user to be the first person to have two sets of powers. Note: Find a good second fruit.

* * *

Shanks had stopped reading as he collapsed back into his seat. Now if he remembered correctly, the second fruit Luffy ate, the Gomu-Gomu no Mi (Gum-Gum Fruit) was no pushover either, as it not only gave the user elasticity but can take a hammering and keep on coming back, or in other words, super-endurance.

Now Shanks had to recollect what just happened.

The boy has tapped into his Haki at an early age, and he just ate two powerful Devil Fruits. What's more, if this boy were to set sail and become a pirate, he'd have a great jump-start ahead of him.

(Later that day)

Makino and Mayor Woop Slap ran into Shanks and his crew and told him that Luffy had gone to face off against the Mountain Bandits from earlier.

Shanks sighed frustratingly. "Stupid brat." he muttered.

After confronting and interrogating all of Higuma's henchmen, one of them revealed that their leader had taken Luffy out to sea; something about teaching him some respect he won't forget in the afterlife.

Shanks eyes widened in horror. He knew what was going to happen if he didn't get there in time. So he told the crew to stay behind and told them he was going to take care of this personally.

Once he made it to the docks, he used Haki to focus his vision to see what direction they went in.

Detaching his captain's coat, straw hat, and sword, he jumped into the water and swam as fast as he could.

He arrived just in time to see Higuma being devoured by a red-eyed, brown scaled, green-finned Sea King in one bite in its large, powerful jaws.

But where was Luffy?

Over on his left, he saw some splashing, signifying that it was Luffy trying to stay afloat as possible, despite the fact that he's become a hammer.

Then over on his right he noticed the Sea King swimming over to his next meal. There was no way that he was going to let Luffy become fish food.

He immediately swam over just in time to keep the boy afloat, and the serpent getting closer and about to attack.

Luffy saw it resurface out of the water and his role model about to take the blow for his stupidity. He wanted to close his eyes, but he could only stare at the approaching Sea King. He desperately pleaded to somehow find the strength he needed before.

'_No…'_

'_No….'_

'_**No…!'**_

Luffy couldn't hold his frustration with his mistake and scrunched his eyes in focus. And then… something amazing happened; that same power he showed at the bar accidentally came back… and at full force.

"**LEAVE US ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!"** he screamed to the top of his tiny little lungs.

Luffy's voice echoed in a powerful shockwave that resounded in a 5 mile diameter.

When he opened his eyes, he saw two things; an astounded Shanks and a stunned, frightened Sea King. Shanks was astounded for a reason. After Luffy's outburst, he fully examined his Haki. _'He has… the Haoshoku Haki (The King's Disposition)….'_ he thought.

After a tense silence, he noticed that Luffy had passed out. Probably from having such an eventful day and tapping into a powerful and rare technique. He smiled lightly down at the boy. Now he would definitely owe him for saving both their lives. He turned to the still frightened Sea King and used a bit of his own Haki to send the creature away. He swam back to shore while carrying Luffy and making sure he didn't fall into the ocean.

* * *

It was two days later, and the Red-Haired Pirates were preparing to leave for good. The day before, Luffy had challenged the bandits in a fight for Shanks' honor. He had been brutally beaten, even with his newfound powers, though granted, he didn't know how to use them.

Then there was the fact Luffy had used Haki, something only adults could use. Why? Because they have the most ambition at that point. And yet, Luffy just showed one of the Yonkou a deep hidden potential.

Luffy and Shanks were having a last farewell. Or rather, Shanks was provoking Luffy until he exploded. "Shut up! I don't want to go with your crew, even though I won the bet!" Luffy cried, yelling his true feelings for the world to hear. "I'll start my own crew that will be even stronger than yours, travel the world, and find One Piece. AND THEN…I'M GOING TO BE THE PIRATE KING!" The words seemed to echo faintly, as if they carried the will of fate.

Shanks grinned, and said "Is that so?" With that, he plucked his favorite straw hat off his head and gave it to Luffy. He leaned forward and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear. "Listen, Luffy. You have a special power and not just your Devil's Fruits either. You have the Haoshoku Haki. Be careful with it. You have no idea how dangerous it can be." Shanks pulled back, and said in a distinctly softer and brighter tone "That's my favorite straw hat. Keep it safe for me, please. You can return it to me… as a great pirate."

Shanks turned to board his ship, as unashamed tears fell from Luffy's unseen eyes. As Shanks waved the island goodbye and set out to the seas he loved, he thought to himself _'Luffy… you're going to be one hell of a pirate when you grow up. And I just hope…that I'm there to see it.'_

* * *

Chapter 2 done.


	3. Prologue pt3: Father

**One Piece: My Version**

Chapter 3: Father

* * *

(Hikari island, Fuschia Village- A few months later)

It was currently nighttime, with a full moon and every kid was tucked in and off in dreamland.

Well all except one…

A certain straw hat wearing, 7-year old Luffy was training to become as strong as possible so that when he was ready, he would head out to the Grand Line and fulfill his dream to become the next Pirate King. After Shanks left, his grandfather came a few days later, outraged that Shanks was here and that he had inspired Luffy to become a pirate instead of a marine. But seeing as how he needed his grandson to be strong regardless, he decided to let him stay at Mt. Corbo with Dadan the mountain bandit, but Luffy hated bandits, thinking back to Higuma.

Soon enough Luffy met Portgas D. Ace. The two got off on the wrong foot, until one day he followed Ace into the forest and found him talking to another boy his age wearing a big hat. His name was Sabo, Ace's best friend. When Ace and Sabo caught Luffy spying on them, they tied him to a tree and plotted to kill him, only for a large man from the Bluejam Pirates named Porchemy caught the tied up Luffy and took him to the Gray Terminal a.k.a. Garbage Mountain while Ace and Sabo ran away and hid. Later they trailed behind and found Luffy tied up to a pole and Porchemy interrogating him about the stolen treasure Ace and Sabo stole from them. When the boy lied, Porchemy started torturing Luffy by hitting him with a large hammer, which proved ineffective due to Luffy's rubbery body. Then he tried spiked gloves and that did the trick. He continued to beat him up for hours until Porchemy decided to kill him. Then Ace and Sabo rescued him and left Porchemy to die at the hands of Bluejam.

After that experience, Luffy joined up with them and they got to be the best of friends. The trio got to making a name out of themselves within the city of the Goa Kingdom; from dine-and-dash to pranks. Sabo to enjoy himself the most. But one day, a nobleman wearing a similar hat to Sabo's called out his name. Later, the two D's found out Sabo's true lineage as the child of a noble family in the upper city. Sabo admitted how he was ashamed of his heritage because of how they acted to people they deemed lower than themselves and that all he wanted was to be free and to write a book about the world. But to his surprise, Luffy and Ace didn't care about that. It was then Ace came up with an idea. By exchanging drinks of sake, they would become brothers so as long as they carry this bond, it doesn't matter where they are in the world. Over the next few months, the newlyfound brotherhood did many activites such as sparring, hunting and the usual pranks. But one day, Sabo's father had found them and to make matters worse, so did Bluejam. It turned out that the nobleman hired the pirates to bring back Sabo and kill Ace and Luffy. Sabo begged his father to spare them, and he accepted, much to D brothers' protests. Then Bluejam inducted them into his crew and forced them to carry crates over to the Gray Terminal. They never saw Sabo again after that day.

Later that night, When Bluejam told them that they had been carrying explosives to destroy everyone in Garbage Mountain, they were horrified and went to stop him, but the pirates restrained them and left them to die in the soon to be inferno. When they escaped, the fire had already spread to most of the Gray Terminal, limiting their openings of escaping from there. Eventually, they found one, but were halted by the remaining Bluejam Pirates plus Bluejam himself. Apparently he struck a deal with Sabo's father to set fire to the Terminal, only to be betrayed by the nobleman when the gates to the city closed, leaving most of his crew to die except for him. He threatened to kill the two boys if they refused to reveal the location of the treasure. Naturally Luffy refused, but Ace said he would tell him if it meant Luffy's safety. Once he told him, Bluejam broke his word and had his men attempt to kill Luffy. This made Ace furious and with one powerful yell, they were knocked out, leaving him, Luffy and Bluejam. Luffy noticed that his older brother could do that strange power Luffy could do. Bluejam nearly killed Ace, until Dadan and her bandit crew came to the rescue. Ace told them to take Luffy and run. Luffy didn't want to leave his older brother, but Dadan wouldn't hear it. Instead Ace stood behind and Dadan with him to confront the pirate, not noticing a huge storm cloud appear out of nowhere in the night sky.

Two days passed, and Luffy was worried sick for his older brother and Dadan. Then Ace came back carrying a wounded Dadan on his small back. Luffy cried happily for Ace's safe return. Later on, one of Dadan's bandits came in, panic and sorrow crossing his face. He told all of them that while looking for Ace and Dadan, he went into the city and spied Sabo on a small boat sailing off, but sadly, he didn't make it far as his boat was shot down by the Tenryūbito(Celestial Dragon or World Noble) Saint Jalmack. His body wasn't found and all that was left of the burning wreckage was his torn hat. Ace furiously goes out to try and find the bastard to avenge Sabo, but Dadan forbade it, saying that they would doom everyone. Luffy was crying again and so was Ace after reading Sabo's farewell letter. Luffy told Ace not to die to which he replied that he wouln't leave his crybaby little brother alone. They would stick together, train together, and grow together as pirates. After all, pirates are all about freedom, not marines.

It had been a month since the Sabo incident, and the two brothers vowed to get stronger so they would set sail together. They also made a promise to their fallen brother that they would live their lives no matter what, and never pray for death. They took that promise very seriously, especially Ace.

Now he was in the middle of a forest trying to improve his new powers, to which he found was very difficult to manage. Ace had gone out to hunt something something big and gather some fruit.

Once his grandfather, Monkey D. Garp, tossed him deep into the dense part of the forest, he would not only have to survive, but he had to train with his Devil Fruit powers and his Haki, it wasn't easy because of the Yami-Yami no Mi's gaping weakness; the user becomes a black hole that draws everything in, including physical attacks. So any damage done to the boy would double the pain. Another weakness was that this particular Logia fruit had no limit to its element. It was pure, infinite darkness generated from the user. But because of the gravitational effects, the user could very well destroy him/herself from the inside-out without intense physical training to control it. Thankfully that's where the super endurance from the Gomu-Gomu no mi came in. Every part of the user's enitre body, down to the cells, becomes an extremely durable rubber body. Utilizing this, the negative effects of the Yami-Yami no Mi were rendered ineffective. In short, Luffy was a very lucky little boy to have that much power.

So far he had learned a lot about his powers; for example, with his darkness powers, he learned how to attract and suck in a ton of objects like wildlife and nature and then turn that vacuum of space into an exploding dark bomb upon regurgitating them. Also with his stretching powers, it was able to make his attacks pack a lot more potential energy into them.

Now his Haki abilities were by far the hardest. It took him nearly half-a year before he could harness that power he used to frighten the Sea King away. Ace on the other hand had more of a knack at controlling it better than he did, but probably because he trained longer than Luffy before they met.

'_Oh… before i forget.'_ Luffy thought. He quickly ran to his rather poorly-made lean-to. Inside he found a large bag of fruit and meat.

He ran as fast as fast as he could until he reached the edge of the forest, which led to the seashore.

Luffy placed the sack down, enclosed his hands around his mouth, preparing to yell.

"OOOIIII! RYOKU!

At first there was no sign of life in the calm waters. But upon closer inspection, Luffy noticed the surface started to ripple. Afterwards the surface broke through and a familiar serpent-like Sea King made itself known.

Its red eyes darted from left to right and then downward to see a little boy. He contemplated on eating him, if it wasn't for the moonlight illuminating the boy's features.

Once he noticed the scar underneath his left eye, he immediately recognized Luffy.

He lowered his head down to Luffy's level and gave him a giant lick with his tongue, signifying that he was his master.

Luffy giggled a bit. "Good boy, Ryoku!" he petted the sea monster on the snout causing it to blow mist out of his nostrils.

Now what most people thought impossible, Luffy actually managed to not only tame the same Sea King that tried to eat him and Shanks, he also made it his first nakama, so he would definitely come with to the Grand Line. Luffy forgave Ryoku as he only did what was in his nature, and soon they became inseparable even if he lived on land and the Sea King lived in water.

But, not only did Luffy train, so did Ryoku. Every day he would find some whirlpool to swim against, to improve his speed and he would also find some large rock formation to smash against, improving his strength.

"Ewww!" Luffy couldn't help but laugh as the water/snot covered him. He then remembered what he came here to do. He grabbed the large bag and brought it up to Ryoku. The sea-dragon sniffed it for a second and realized there was food in that sack. "Open wide!" exclaimed Luffy. And he did so, revealing 3 sets of razor sharp teeth. Luffy tossed the bag into Ryoku's giant maw and closed with a resounding ***SNAP***.The boy could hear his pet crunching and chewing all that food with delight.

After his meal Ryoku brought his head down allowed Luffy to hug his snout, causing the sea monster to purr.

Then he heard something snap in the shadows close-by to Luffy's position. Ryoku snarled so that Luffy could hear him. The boy looked confused until he saw Ryoku baring his teeth at what was behind his little master.

"Anyone there?" questioned Luffy. He could tell that the figure wasn't Ace since the footsteps were heavier.

"Why are you out here training all by yourself?" asked a masculine voice that was in the shadows of the trees. The voice was both strong and calm at the same time.

Luffy gave a large, monkey-like grin to the shadows. "I'm training so that I can go to the Grand Line with a pirate crew! I'm going to be the next Pirate King!" the boy exclaimed.

The voice chuckled. "Well, you don't hear that every day."

Luffy looked perplexed. "Who are you?"

Then a man walked out of the shadows, causing Ryoku growls to get louder, but his little master stroked his the side of his snout, telling him to calm down.

A tall figure appeared out of the shadows so Luffy could see him better. Once the figure stepped out, the moonlight gave Luffy better vision. He noticed that the figure had green cloak on but the hood lowered. He had long black hair, naturally spiked back like a lion's mane and had what appeared to be tribal tattoos on the side of his face. He had a more of a sinister look on his face but softened a bit when he saw Luffy.

"Monkey D. Dragon. I'm your father." answered Dragon with a smile on his face.

Luffy widen his eyes at the enigmatic man in front of him. "I have a…. father?" he spoke in disbelief.

Dragon laughed a bit. "Everyone has a father, Grandpa Garp didn't tell you? I'm a little surprised. That man has a big mouth."

Luffy's giant smile never left his face. "SUGEI! I never knew I had a Dad!"

Dragon raised an eyebrow at his son. _'I was sure that if I told him that I was his father, He would get angry at me and demand to know where I was at. I guess he's not like Ace.'_ he thought before something with killing intent came towards him. Dragon sidestepped out of the way, dodging the assailant's attack. With an outstrecthed hand, he grabbed the person who attacked him by the scruff of the shirt. He wasn't surprised when it was Ace trying to attack him.

"Oi teme, let me go!" Ace was wriggling from Dragon's grasp.

"Hello Ace." said Dragon. This caused Ace to stop struggling.

"How do you know my name?" the older D asked suspiciously.

Dragon turned his head to Luffy then to Ace.

"We have much to discuss, but first, do you two have a place to stay?" he asked.

Luffy nodded. "We live up here in the mountains with Dadan."

"Who is Dadan?" asked the patriarch.

"A mountain bandit."

"..."

_'I'm going to kill you Garp...'_

Dragon walked up to his child, but not before attracting the growls of Ryoku, who still didn't know who this man was. But one look into Dragon's leer said otherwise, causing the serpent to back down. The revolutionary leader placed the older brother down and knelt to give Luffy and Ace a big hug; something he always regretted during his time away.

"I'm home, my sons." he spoke softer.

Luffy was pushing back the tears stinging the corner of his eyes. It had been 7 years since his birth since he had seen his father. And while he had questions about his disappearance, he was glad that he was here. Ace on the other hand was having trouble processing these new emotions. He had never been held like this before; being wanted and loved. This intimidating man that was hugging both him and his little brother like they were his long-lost sons.

Luffy pulled back first and smiled. "Let's go, tou-san! I can't wait to show you the house."

Then Luffy started to run home, Ace following in step. Dragon smiled and followed them both. They definitely had a lot to talk about.

When they got home, Dragon took note of the boys' home. It wasn't bad, considering it was home to mountain bandits. The second the doors opened, a tall overweight woman with a masculine face appeared in the doorway, she did not look pleased.

"Ace, Luffy, you little brats! I told you two not to stay out this late!" she bellowed.

Luffy pouted. "But Dadan, we found my dad!"

"I don't care if you- wait, what?" Dadan's tirade ceased, confusion took place of her anger. She glanced in Ace's direction, giving him a look that demanded to know what his little brother meant. Ace gestured with a head-shrug to the person behind them whom Luffy referred to as his father. Dragon popped out of the darkness in plain sight.

"Dadan..." shakily whispered one bandit.

"It's..." added another.

"Dragon..." Dadan finished.

The World's Most Dangerous Man, Leader of The Revolutionaries and the prime enemy of the World Government, Monkey D. Dragon a.k.a Dragon, was standing before them. The bandit family gulped, all the color drained from them.

"So you're the bandits that have been charged with taking care of my sons?"

Dadan hesitated, but answered. "Erm...Uh...Yeah?"

_'Oh we're jacked now...'_ thought Dadan.

Dragon's grim stare never left his face as he examined the person before him that had been raising these boys for a time.

"Thank you."

That expression of gratitude caused the bandits to face-fault.

Later after the boys went to bed, he sat across the table from Dadan.

"You're probably wondering why I'm here?" he told the old woman.

"Well that's the understatement of the year! The World Government wants your head!" she half-shouted as to not wake up the boys.

"What you don't know is that I came here a few months ago, when the fire broke out in the Gray Terminal."

A dawn of realization hit Dadan. "It was you! You were that 'cloaked figure' everyone in the Terminal kept saying about that saved them from the fire!"

Dragon nodded.

"Well, not that we're not grateful for that, but, why are you here now?"

* * *

In another room close by where the boys were supposedly sleeping, the D brothers were eavesdropping on the conversation.

Luffy turned his attention to his older brother. "Hey Ace, why do you think dad might be here?"

Ace however, wasn't paying much attention to his younger brother. He was still a bit doubtful that this man he had never seen before in his life was his adoptive father. As far as he knew, Garp never mentioned anything about Luffy's parents, which struck him odd because he had no trouble in telling him his own. And now, this mysterious, and possibly dangerous man wanted by The World Government had come to this place just to visit his sons? And what's more he didn't know how to react to Dragon calling them both his sons. He never had a father before, could this be an opportunity for him to have one?

the freckled boy was brought back to reality when he heard Dadan's outburst.

"WHAT?"

* * *

"You want to take the boys so you can train them?" Dadan yelled indistictly.

"Yes. Garp isn't bringing out their full potential because he's fearful of their futures. But I'm not, I will take my sons somewhere hidden nearby the island and train them to bring out their full potential so that when they set out to world, they'll be ready." he responded calmly. _'Especially when the time comes for the World Government to fall I'll need their help.'_

"And what about Garp? I'm pretty sure he's not gonna take to kindly to you being here let alone take the boys to boot camp!"

"You let me worry about Garp. I'll deal with him, and your deal with him will remain unchanged."

Dadan gave up. There was no arguing with the 'D' Family that was for certain, so she had no choice but to comply.

"Okay, fine. I'm already in it deep anyway." she resigned.

Dragon gave a nod of thanks before shifting his head to the open doorway where Luffy and Ace were spying from.

"And I think I'll give the boys the good news." he said, before getting up from his seat and made his way to their room. He heard cluttering sounds before entering, and saw the boys 'sleeping'.

"Luffy, Ace, I know you two are awake. Please... let me get a better look at my sons."

The boys stepped out into view. Luffy looked up astonishedly at his father, feeling a sense of pride that his father was very strong. Ace on the other hand, was a bit skeptical about the whole situation. The Revolutionary Leader knelt down to face his sons eye-to-eye.

"How about it boys? Do you two want to get stronger?" he asked them seriously.

Luffy nodded fervously. Ace still didn't trust him.

"Why do you want to help us? You haven't even bothered to show up until now, so why the hell should we trust you?" yelled Ace.

Dragon expected this from Ace. He knew the boy needed a parental figure; one to look up to with pride and to support and encourage him. But first, he needed to prove to his sons that they can trust him, and the only way to do that is to tell them the truth.

Dragon's grim expression returned when he answered. "Boys… understand this… the World Government is after me."

Luffy was confused. "World…Government…?" hearing the name of the establishment controlling the world for the first time. Ace on the other hand looked perplexed.

"The World Government practically rules the world, but they follow somewhat of a dark and twisted version of justice and kill anyone; be them pirates, people or one of their own marines. Why? Because they believe they have the power to judge right from wrong."

Luffy looked horrified. "That's terrible! But…What does that have to do with you?" he asked his father.

Now this was the part where the dad would boast to his sons about his achievements.

"Very well Luffy, I'll tell you two about it soon enough. But first, there are a couple of things you need to be aware of in this world. First off is, the age we live in now is the Age of Piracy, which means that being a Pirate is the worst thing you can be or do. The World Government controls everything. They control the Marines and the Shichibukai (Seven Military Seas). They are one of the main obstacles that stand in the way of anyone from becoming the next Pirate King as it would upset the balance of the world." explained Dragon.

Luffy gave him a smile. "Really? Well then… I'll just have to kick their asses!" the youth exclaimed as he pumped an arm.

After listening to his step-father's explanation, Ace felt conflicted. He wanted to pay the government back for killing Sabo, but he didn't want to give up his dream of being a pirate.

Dragon sensed Ace's confliction. "You both have strong ambitions, and that's how I was able to find you. Now then… it was during that time that I created the Revolutionaries Organization. Our goal is to destroy the World Government and let the world finally be free from its shackles. Things are already running smoothly. The reason I've come here, is to help make you stronger my sons, that way in the future you two will be ready for the world."

Luffy jumped for joy. "Yatta! I'm gonna to get stronger!" he cheered. Dragon smiled then turned to his adopted son.

"And you Ace? What is your desire in this life?"

For once, the boy was dumbstruck. Originally, his ambition was to be made known in the world, but the reality of it was that he didn't want to just be free, he wanted to be loved. All of a sudden, he felt a familiar fueling desire burn within him as well as a familiar power he used on Bluejam. Ace scrunched his eyes closed and voiced out his ambition.

**"I WANT TO BE THE PIRATE KING TOO!"** he kept his eyes closed, anticipating what both his father's and brother's reaction would be. When he slowly opened them, he was surprised to see Luffy grinning at him and Dragon smile with fatherly pride.

"B-But Luffy, being Pirate King is your dream right?"

His response was hug from his sibling. "This is great! Now I have the best rival I could ask for, my brother!"

Ace felt tears well up as Dragon pulled his sons in for another family hug. This time Ace didn't react awkwardly. Instead he accepted the love his family was giving him, filling the void in his being and answering the question that haunted him.

_'Should I have been born?'_ Ace now knew the answer to that question and for the second time since Luffy, Sabo and him became brothers...he was truly happy.

After the little family moment, Dragon stood up. "You boys should get some sleep. You're going to need it for tomorrow."

Luffy hopped into his own bed, sleep beginning to overtake him. "G'night tousan." he yawned.

Ace did the same and shared a smile with the man he acknowledged as his father. "Goodnight...dad."

Dragon nodded to both his sons. "Goodnight Luffy, Ace." he said before stepping out of their room and closing the door behind him. The revolutionary noticed all the lights were out now. The bandit gang went to asleep already.

Once he left the house at a reasonable distance, he took out a Den Den Mushi and waited for someone to pick up.

"_Yes__ sir?"_ spoke a feminine male voice. (You know like an okama would speak)

"Ivankov, I want you to come to the East Blue and also bring Inazuma here with you as well." ordered Dragon.

"_East Blue? You said that we were going to stay away from that for now." _

"I'm going to be training my son, but I need you two to help me do this." explained Dragon.

"_Oh, that's right you have a little boy of your own; ~how kawaii~!"_ Ivankov squealed.

Dragon rolled his eyes.

_OK, we will be there in a couple of days Dragon."_

"Good, and be sure to bring the equipment I requested for Luffy his brother Ace." said Dragon.

"_He has a brother…?"_ inquired the Queen of queers.

"Yes, now can I count on you to train them...?" he asked, beginning to lose his patience.

"_Not a problem."_

"Two more things, Ivankov; Keep a low profile upon arriving in Fuschia Village, and…" ordered Dragon.

"_And…?" _

This time Dragon was deadly serious when he spoke into the Den-Den Mushi.

"**DO NOT, come to Luffy dressed the way you usually do. I don't want a traumatized son to deal with. Wear something humanely casual, or there'll be hell to pay; do I make myself clear?"** he spoke in a deathly serious tone he uses on his subordinates or his enemies.

Dragon could see his Den-Den Mushi quaking with fear as Ivankov spoke.

"_O-Of Course… Uh… Ivankov out!" _

Dragon hung up. He titled his head up to see the brilliant, starry night sky. Not a cloud in sight. He began to ponder on his reaction upon meeting his children. He noticed that Luffy had an mixture of aura around him; the kindness from his mother and the headstrong 'D' attributes from his side. Ace's aura was like a fire similar to his biological father but at the same time he was different from him. Dragon knew he would do right by his kids; he would be a father to them and give them the support that a father could give to his children.

"I swear this on my life... once the world's problems are resolved, the world will change for the better. Everyone will live in a world of freedom and equality. I not only make this vow to the unjust people of the world we live in now, but to my family and future generations. Wherever winds of change may come, it will happen."

Dragon would make sure of that.

* * *

Done!


	4. The Journey Begins

**One Piece: My Version**

Chapter 4: The Journey Begins

* * *

(10 years later- Fuschia Village)

A young man of 17 years was standing on the docks of his home. He wore a red button-up vest, blue shorts, and adorning a straw-hat given to him by his mentor a decade ago. The scar under his left eye was still ever-present. A piece of wheat was caught between his set of jaws while smiling. Lastly he had a 3 ¼ foot long scimitar with a curved red handle and a silver hilt strapped to his side.

This was it for Monkey D. Luffy. Today, he would begin his journey towards his dream. But not before calling his pet.

"**RYOKU! TIME TO WAKE UP!"** he yelled, pouring a bit of Haki in his voice.

Deep in a sea cave on the ocean floor, a pair of glaring red eyes snapped open when it heard it master's command. He immediately shot out of his abode and up towards the surface.

With a loud splash, the creature surfaced, meeting upon his master. He knelt down so that his master could greet him properly. Indeed Ryoku had noticed his master's growth since they trained together as nakama.

Luffy took note of Ryoku's growth. For one, the Sea King grew in size at least 7x5 feet in length and width. And what's more, he noticed that the top of his dorsal fin was torn slightly and had a thin scar over his left eye; both results of his training.

"Ready to go, Ryoku?"

The creature nodded in agreement.

Luffy grinned. "Great! Now try this on for size." He reached into his boat compartment and unveiled a set of reins. The beast looked a little annoyed at having to wear that.

"Come on boy, I had this made just for you. How else are we gonna stick together. And besides this'll help travel fly by." he added.

Ryoku merely snorted and begrudgingly slid the pulling-bar in his mouth. Luffy had attached the reigns to the small dinghy and grasped of the handles. With a crack of the reigns and a 'giddy-up', they both sped off into the crack of dawn, where countless adventures awaited them.

* * *

(Further down the East Blue)

A cruise ship was anchored across from an uncharted island. A few marines were stationed there for guard duty and protection for the people and their valuables.

Of course they have yet to see any sign of danger or any potential threat upon this vessel, so as a result, the marine foot soldiers took the time to just hang around while the guy up on the crow's nest was keeping a lookout, albeit lazily. The only thing that transpired was that they managed to pick up a stray barrel out in the ocean that floated their way.

Things were pretty quiet. That is… until the marine on lookout saw a strange looking ship. It was pink, a skull with a heart on it for the flag and a swan with heart shaped eyes for a figure head. It was, in a word… ridiculous. Hell, if it wasn't for the Jolly Roger, the marine would have thought it to be some kind of themed ship.

"Oi! We've got pirates off the port bow!"

The marine soldiers down below were shocked by their comrades outburst and peered into the direction pointed out, to see if he was screwing with them. He wasn't.

On said ship, a brutish-looking, obese woman wielding an oversized, iron-spiked club, was looking on the potential jackpot that lay before her. Her crew already stole and swiped every piece of treasure and jewelry they could get their grimy hands on.

"COBY!" she bellowed.

And like lightning, a runt-looking, pink-haired, wimpy-boy with glasses (Basically, textbook-nerd) appeared before her, who was shaking like a leaf.

"H-Hai, A-Alvida-sama…" he squeaked.

"Who's the most beautiful woman in all the 5 Blues?"

… '_Really, Alvida? Because I think Boa Hancock and the Mermaid Princess might be offended by your statement.'_ Of course Coby wouldn't say that out loud, lest he suffer her wrath and receive her punishment by her club.

"Y-You are Alvida-sama." he stuttered.

The fat woman grinned maliciously.

"Good… now… GET A BARREL OF RUM FOR MY MEN!" she barked.

And with that, Coby left in a blur and scurried his way down to the cellar. Once there, he found the closest barrel he could find. Moving it however, proved to be more of a chore, as Coby found out that whatever was in that barrel was about as heavy as an anvil.

That's when three of Alvida's pirates came to get some rum for themselves. Coby tried to stop them, but they paid him no mind as one of them got to open the barrel.

However, none of them were prepared for what was actually inside it. With a great big yawn, two outstretched arms, a young 17-year-old with a straw hat burst out of the container and smacked two of the pirates upside the head and launched them about halfway through the roof.

The young man opened his drowsy eyes, taking in the environment around him.

"Huh? Nani? Where am I?" he looked from left to right, until he realized he was inside a ship.

"Hmm… must've dozed off…" he turned his head again to see both a scared Coby and a shaking pirate.

"Oi, you two know what this place is?" he asked.

Of course the pirate reacted by firing his flintlock pistol at him.

The bullet never reached its target as the young man had disappeared.

Coby looked around for him until he heard an unsheathed blade coming from his left. His head snapped in said direction to see the same young man but with his scimitar held against the pirate's neck.

This time, Coby noticed that the young man's demeanor did a 180. His straw-hat covering his eyes, and he had a serious, unreadable expression.

"Now that wasn't nice, I just wanted to ask where I'm being held in and you go and shoot at me." his voice was laced with a dark tone to it.

The pirate was shaking just as much as Coby was, only the pirate had nearly lost control of his bowels; just nearly. Instead, he just fainted.

The young man's expression changed back to confusion as he stared at the unconscious pirate.

He shrugged then turned to Coby, who was still shaking.

"Hey, do you know where I am?"

Coby, not wanting to be in the same position as the pirate before him answered him quickly.

"Y-Y-You're on A-Alvida-s-sama's pirate ship!"

The young man looked at him blankly then scratched rubbed his chin while deep thought (Yes, he does have the mental capacity to think) until his stomach started growling.

"You got any food?" he asked.

Coby stopped shaking and looked at him oddly before taking him to the cellar and gave him a barrel full of apples.

"Oh, boy! Apples! Though it's not exactly meat, it'll do!" the young man exclaimed as he chomped down on the first apple.

Coby watched this guy from a safe distance so he could ask him questions.

"U-Uh… a-ano, who are you?"

In mid-snacking the young man faced Coby.

"Ihm Rughy." he spoke with a mouth filled with apples.

"Uh… what?"

With a loud gulp, the young man tried again.

"Sorry, I meant to say, my name is Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm a pirate."

Coby's eyes grew as big as his glasses.

"A-A pirate? But pirates are ruthless cutthroats of the sea! Why in the world would you want to be one?" he shrieked.

Luffy smiled. "For Gold Roger's treasure." he said simply.

Coby's jaw dropped to the floor. "One Piece? That treasure doesn't even exist! It's just a myth? It-"

***BONK***

Coby was now nursing a sore lump on his head. "Why did you hit me?" Luffy just looked at him blankly. "You shouldn't scoff at people's dreams."

Coby immediately reprimanded his actions. "Gomen. I just want to know why…"

"To become the new Pirate King." Luffy's grin widened.

This time Coby just stood there, speechless. _'Is this guy for real? He wants to become the next Pirate King.'_

"What about you? What's your dream?" Luffy asked. Coby thought about it for a minute. For at least 2 years he had been in service to an ogress with a foul temper that he had nearly forgotten what his dream was, until the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"I WANT TO JOIN THE MARINES SO I CAN BECOME AN ADMIRAL! SO I CAN ARREST PIRATES LIKE ALVIDA!"

The roof above their heads suddenly exploded, revealing a very pissed off Alvida jump down to the ground. "What did you say, Coby? You're going to capture me? That's a laugh!" she scoffed. She turned her gaze to Luffy next. "You… You're not the pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro. Who are you?"

Luffy just looked at her. "A pirate." he replied.

Alvida merely grunted and turned back to Coby to torture him some more. "Coby… Who's the loveliest woman in the world?" the pink haired boy went back to his stuttering until Luffy answered for him.

"Who's the boar?"

…

…

Coby as well as all of the Alvida pirates had their jaws drop to the floor and eyes popping out at the Luffy's death wish. Alvida's face was riddled with tick marks."YOU BASTARD!" she swung her mace at her target, which was Luffy. Of course, what she didn't realize, in her blind fury, was that Luffy was already gone, along with Coby.

Once she noticed that her club had missed her target, she looked from all sides to see where he went.

She growled as she snapped her head up to her men. "WHERE IS HE?" she roared. (Not a Dark Knight reference)

…

…

Now this was strange, usually they were responsive. She somehow managed to crawl out of the hole she made to see what was going on. Her beady eyes widened at what she saw.

All of her men lay unconscious on the floor, with foam coming out of their mouths and their eyes without pupils.

Alvida demanded what the hell was going on until she saw Luffy, standing with a frown and Coby was down on his knees, slipping in and out of consciousness.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY CREW?" she bellowed.

Luffy looked at the sprawled crew members all over the deck and shrugged, while picking his ear.

"Eh, they had weak sauce. Probably someone from someone like you as their captain." he responded casually.

That was the line. Alvida charged at Luffy like a raging bull with her club held up high.

Luffy just shifted into a simple frontward stance and pulled back his right arm.

It all happened in a blink of an eye. Alvida was only 3 feet away from hitting her mark, but didn't even get the chance as an incredibly strong, power-packed punch socked her in her stomach, causing all the wind to be blown out of her. The force of the blow was so strong it lifted the fat woman off her feet and launched her into the sky like a cannonball. Alvida went soaring until she was a shining star in the blue sky.

Luffy clapped his hands together and brushed them off. "Well… that takes care of that."

He then noticed that the crew was still knocked out. He grinned sheepishly and scratched his chin.

"Hehe… maybe I should've kept at least one standing so I could ask where they keep the life-boats." But then he realized something…Coby!

He tilted his head down to the semi-conscious boy. "Hey… Coby was it…? Where are the life-boats?" Coby pointed a shaky arm in the direction of the life-boats.

Luffy grinned "Thanks." he said as he grabbed Coby by the scruff of his shirt and jumped into the small boat.

He used his sword to cut the ropes holding it down and they both dropped to the surface of the water.

Somehow, Luffy managed to catch an image of a young, red-headed female who seemed to be stealing from Alvida's pirate ship.

When the boat touched the surface, Luffy called out to his pet.

"**Ryoku!"**

Suddenly, the surface rippled and bubbled, until the serpent rose out of the water.

As soon as Coby regained full consciousness, he looked towards the towering Sea King. Coby adjusted his glasses so he could see properly, and then turned to Luffy with a neutral expression.

"You have a pet Sea King?" he asked the young pirate with an even tone.

"Yup! His name's Ryoku, and he's my first nakama."

It was after the small introduction that Coby fully fainted. Too much excitement in one hour could do that.

Luffy just laughed out loud with Ryoku and together they jetted off into the horizon.

* * *

Chapter 4 complete and here's the list of Luffy's current nakama (Because honestly, I wouldn't change a thing with them; they're awesome).

Zoro

Nami

Usopp

Sanji

Chopper

Robin

Franky

Brook

And here are the new additions

Alvida

Basil Hawkins

Gin

Perona

Trafalgar Law

Scratchmen Apoo

Bon Clay


	5. Recruiting Zoro

**One Piece: My Version**

Chapter 5: Recruiting Zoro

* * *

(Out at sea- 30 minutes later)

Coby finally woke up and looked a saw Luffy sitting at the front of the boat, holding the reigns wrapped around Ryoku.

"What happened?" asked Coby while rubbing his head.

Luffy smiled at him. "I guess you just fainted; probably when I introduced you to Ryoku."

Coby looked confused until he peered at the large Sea King pulling the small life-boat.

He paled slightly. _'Oh great, it wasn't a dream.'_ he thought.

After regaining composure he turned his attention back to Luffy. "Where are we going?" the pink-haired youth asked.

"To the island that's called Shell Town; it works out good for the both of us." Luffy spoke cheerfully.

Coby had a confused look on his face. "What do you mean by that?"

"Simple, there is a Marine base there. You could ask them if you can be a Marine." the straw-hat pirate grinned.

Coby was happy to hear that his dream would finally become a reality. "What about you Luffy? You want to be the Pirate King, right?" he inquired.

Luffy gave him a big smile. "That's right, but every pirate needs a crew. That boar said something about a man named Roronoa Zoro being held captured in the Shell Town Marine base. Am I right, so far?"

Coby eyed him uneasily. "Yeah, but… Why do you ask?" he really didn't like where this was going.

"I'm going to ask Zoro to join my crew." Luffy grinned.

Coby almost fell over from what Luffy just said. "Are you crazy, Luffy?! That man is a demon in human form! Besides, Zoro is a Pirate Hunter. He kills pirates like you!!"

"Maybe, but I'm strong. I just need to see what kind of person is anyway." Luffy said without losing any of his cheerfulness.

Luffy was excited that he was going to get his second crew member.

Coby just sighed exasperatedly. A couple of hours ago he was just a cabin-boy/chore-boy serving under that whale of a woman, Alvida. Then out of nowhere, this strange pirate comes out of nowhere, well specifically a barrel, and single-handedly took her down and her crew like they were nothing. But what peaked his curiosity was how Luffy moved so fast in a blink of an eye and… what was that heavy force Coby felt on his body, mind and spirit.

"Luffy, I've been meaning to ask: what was that trick you used back there?"

Luffy turned his head to the bespectacled boy with a blank look while fiddling with the piece of wheat in his mouth.

"It's very powerful technique that few renowned pirates use; it's known as Haki."

Coby tilted his head. "Haki...?"

"Haki is a corporeal form of a person's ambition. When their ambition is high enough, they can tap into it, and harness it, making them a nearly unstoppable force. With this power, it can be used to instill great intimidation and fear into a person's soul. If they're not strong enough to endure, they're immediately knocked out. Looks like you were able to hold out compared to the rest of those assholes on that ship."

Coby was listening with awe as Luffy continued on with his explanation.

"What's more, when a person harnesses this power, the user can dash at high speeds in practically a millisecond, have the strength to tear through any reinforced metal like a wet tissue paper, and finally are able to read other peoples actions before they do them. For example, if I was about to be attacked from behind, I could see the attack coming beforehand and dodge it with ease."

Coby was amazed. Was there really such a technique out there that the world renowned pirates use?

"While my level of Haki is not _**as**_ powerful as Whitebeard, Shanks or "Hawkeye" Mihawk… I'm _**definitely**_ no pushover." Luffy spoke with the serious tone he used on the pirate back on the ship, causing Coby to freeze in place.

He managed to snap out of it. "U-Uh, another thing, how did you come to be on Alvida's ship?" he asked timidly.

Luffy's serious demeanor changed back to his goofy smile as he erupted into laughter.

"Well, I _**used to**_ have a dinghy when I set off, but then a certain_** sea creature**_ got a little bit carried away and tried to tackle a whirlpool while I got sucked in!"

Luffy could hear Ryoku whine apologetically for the third time before continuing.

"Luckily, I managed to empty out one of my barrels and hitched a ride. I fell asleep for a while and then woke up on that boar's pirate ship. And the rest, you know."

Coby wondered if joining up with this guy was really a wise choice.

Ryoku suddenly howled, grabbing both Luffy and Coby's attention. Luffy took out a small pocket-telescope and peered out into the distance. He grinned when he saw what Ryoku was howling about.

"We're here!!!" he exclaimed.

Up ahead they could see a large Marine base dead center of the island.

* * *

Once they parked the ship into port, Luffy untied Ryoku's reigns from the boat and ordered him to conceal himself underwater so he wouldn't freak the townsfolk. Ryoku did as his master told him and submerged himself back into the water.

Just as the two headed into town, Luffy's stomach got the better of him.

"Shishishi… I'm hungry."

"But we don't have any money." Coby pointed out. He changed his tune once he saw Luffy pull out a small bag filled with Bellis.

"I stand corrected."

After a few minutes of walking through town Luffy saw the base of the encampment, surrounded by a 6 ft tall fence. The landscape beyond that was pretty barren. But upon closer inspection he saw a man wearing a green bandana over his head, a white shirt and black pants and a green haramaki sash tied over his waist. He was currently tied down to a wooden crucifix. In front of him was a little girl with pigtails.

Coby blanched when he saw the man. "T-T-That's him!! That's Roronoa Zoro!!" he said.

But Luffy was paying attention to the scene before him, and how it would play out.

It turned out the girl was giving the pirate hunter some rice-balls as if she knew him. Then trouble came when a lanky, pompous man with bowl-shaped hair wearing a purple blazer.

He snatched one of the girl's rice-balls and plopped one in his mouth. Upon tasting it he spit it out, complaining that it had too much sugar in them and stomped on them. He then ordered one of the marine soldiers to toss her out. The soldier reluctantly did so and tossed her over the fence like a ball.

Thankfully for the little girl, Luffy pulled an out-stretched arm to grab her and bring her down to 's couldn't believe what he saw, Luffy… stretched like a wad of gum. As Luffy set the nervous girl down, Coby raised a shaky finger pointed at him.

"Wh-Wh-What the hell was that?!!"

Luffy simply smiled and pulled on one of his cheeks, causing it to stretch considerably. "I'm a rubber-man 'cause I ate the Gomu-Gomu no Mi."

Before Coby could speak again he noticed Luffy had disappeared from that spot.

He darted from left to right, wondering where he went to. His eyes turned to dinner plates when he noticed that Luffy was inside the encampment talking to the tied up Zoro.

"Hey there!! Are you Zoro?" Luffy greeted.

Zoro tilted his head up so his fierce gaze could see who was talking to him. It turned out that it was not a marine, but a sword-wielding, staw-hat wearing young man.

"Who the hell are you?" he rasped, not wanting to deal with anymore bullshit.

"I'm Luffy and I'm a pirate." he responded.

…

"Whoop-dee-doo…"

"I'm looking for people to join my crew and I heard you really strong."

The pirate hunter glared at him. "Get lost! I'm not interested in becoming a pirate. After all I kill pirates."

"Why not have get change of venue?" Luffy asked.

'_This guy is really starting to piss me off…'_ Zoro thought.

"Pirates are nothing but cowards that lie, cheat, and steal first chance they get. Besides, I can't leave, not until my sentence is up."

"How long will that be?"

"Just ten more days."

Luffy was unresponsive for a moment before Zoro addressed him.

"Oi, do me a favor, and get me that rice-ball on the ground."

Luffy did what he was asked and held it in front of him.

"You're seriously going to eat this?"

"Just shut up and feed me the rice-ball!!"

After eating and holding down the dirt-ball, Zoro turned his attention back to Luffy. "Tell that girl 'thanks' for me will ya?" The pirate hunter's eyes widened when he noticed that Luffy was gone. _'What the hell was that? I must be seeing things… damn mirages.'_

* * *

"Really?! He ate it?!" spoke the cheerful little girl named Rika.

Luffy knelt down to her level and ruffled her hair, all while smiling widely. "Yup, ate the whole thing in one bite and said he was thankful that you made it for him."

Rika's eyes sparkled with joy.

"Luffy, we should probably take her home to parents." said Coby. Luffy nodded and Rika led them both to a small bar where her mother, Ririka, worked at.

Afterwards, they both told Luffy and Coby how Zoro had been held prisoner for nearly a month because he saved both the mother and daughter from the Captain's son, Helmeppo by striking his pet wolf. His sentence was due to end ten days later.

Rika cried a little. "That's terrible!!! He's a disgrace to the name of the Marines." spoke an angry Coby while Luffy's face remained expressionless.

Suddenly the same lanky man who had Rika thrown out barged in.

"Oi, wench!! How about a couple of rounds!!"

As he began drinking he confessed out loud how he was going to deal with the pirate-hunter. Everyone else in the tavern was too afraid to speak up, lest they suffer the wrath of Captain Morgan.

"I think I'll execute that Zoro tomorrow, you know as a joke." he cackled.

That statement alone made Luffy get up from his seat and punched the spoiled son square in the jaw. Helmeppo got up, clutching the painful side of his face.

"HOW DARE YOU?!! DO YOU KNOW WHO MY FATHER IS?!!!" he screeched.

Luffy responded by picking him up by the scruff of his suit and meeting his fierce gaze.

"I don't care if he's your grandfather… You're despicable for not keeping your end of the bargain."

He tossed the weakling out of the bar like a pebble, causing Helmeppo to crash into a wall. The soldiers that came with him were trying to pry him out of said wall.

Luffy was still unmoving, but Coby was running around, panicking at Luffy's outburst.

"This is bad Luffy!!! Now he'll tell his father and have marines come and kill us!!"

And once again Luffy disappeared.

* * *

Back to Zoro's predicament, the heat-stroke was about to claim him when Luffy came back to speak to him again.

Zoro sighed exasperatedly. "You again? Look I already told you, I'm not joining your crew!!"

"Did you know that idiot son is planning to execute you tomorrow?" Luffy asked, not changing his tone.

Zoro's eyes widened at this new information. "Are you serious?!! That bastard…!" he hissed. He looked at Luffy who was grinning like an idiot.

"What's so damn amusing?!" he yelled.

"Well the way I see it, you now have two choices, I could leave you here to die, or I could set you free _**if**_ you agree to join my crew."

…

…

Zoro's grimace changed to a grin. "That's blackmail… Fine, I'll join your crew. You have my word as a swordsman."

Luffy's grinned widened. "Shishishishishi… Alright!!!"

"But first I need my swords; that bastard Helmeppo took'em and put them somewhere inside the base."

Luffy nodded and shot his outstretched arm to the roof of the base.

"Gomu-Gomu no Rocket!!!"

Zoro's eyes widened. "What the hell is he?" he muttered.

* * *

On the top floor room sat a large man who was the textbook definition of 'arrogant'. He had surgically altered his lower jaw, so he could speak clearly, though it clearly made him look like Frankenstein and a surgically implanted axe for a right arm that reached up to his elbow where it jointed out.

He was the corrupt and vicious captain of Shell Town, Axe-Hand Morgan and he was currently looking out the window, observing what he deemed it to be his 'greatest achievement': Raising a 20 ft tall statue of him so everyone can see.

A few moments later, his disappointment of a son, Helmeppo barged into his office.

"Father!!! There's this little punk that socked me in the face!!!"

Later on the top floor, Helmeppo was still complaining and Morgan's patience was wearing thin.

"Father, aren't you going to do something?!! That bastard hit me… Your son…!! Even you've never hit me!!" he cried indignantly.

"Do you know why I've never hit you?" Morgan asked his offspring.

Helmeppo was taken aback. "I-Is it because you love me… your son…?"

"No."

Helmeppo was knocked back 10 feet, courtesy of his father's left hook.

"Because you're not worth hitting… you are a disappointment to me as a son. Tell me have you even executed that intruder that kept popping in all the time?"

"N-No of course not… she's just a little girl." the mortified Helmeppo responded.

With a grunt, the menacing captain turned to his second-in-command, Stewie (really, his name is Stewie look up Episode 2). "You, go into town and execute that girl and her family!!"

But the marine stood defiantly. "Sir, I will not!! Even if you are ranked higher, you don't deserve to bear the colors of the Marines-"

His tirade was cut-off when Morgan whacked him upside the head with the blunt-side of his axe.

"Count yourself lucky I'm feeling merciful right now… I'll go into town myself later, for now… RAISE THAT STATUE!!! AND DON'T DAMAGE IT!!!"

But of course no one's perfect. As soon as he was about to strike down an insubordinate, a hand grasped the top of the statue, causing it to creak.

Morgan and his men looked at the statue closely as it began to creak more and more until its mid-section spilt apart causing the ropes to snap. The resulting crash was heard when the top half of Morgan's immortalization crumbling down to the ground.

"Whoops… Looks like I stretched too much." said an airborne Luffy before landing in a crowd of jaw-dropped, wide-eyed marines.

He rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "Gomen, my fault. I didn't know there was a statue in the way."

…

…

'_M-My statue… He destroyed… __**MY STATUE!!!!!**__'_

"CAPTURE HIM AND BRING TO ME!!!! I'LL KILL HIM MYSELF!!!!" yelled the furious Naval Captain.

However as soon as the soldiers were about charge when all of a sudden they found themselves unable to move. They looked down to their feet and were horrified at what they saw. A shadowy, black-like, substance covered most of the roof, engulfing every soldier into its nothingness, including Captain Morgan, excluding Helmeppo, who was smart enough or scared enough to sense the danger around him and luckily found a safe-spot the darkness didn't consume. The helmet-haired wimp wondered where the source of this darkness was coming from, until his eyes landed on the source substance; it was coming from the man in the straw-hat who punched him and he was using his outstretched arms, which looked like they were covered in ink, to produce the substance.

Luffy grinned as the marines were eventually sucked into the black nothingness.

"**Black Hole – Liberation!!!**"

Suddenly, black smoke began to coat over Luffy and rise up into a billowing pillar of smoke, thereby regurgitating all of the marines that were swallowed.

However, once they were expunged, you could see that they were battered, bruised, bloodied and eyes rolled back to their head, even Morgan whose axe-hand seemed to have been crushed beyond recognition, and so was his metal jaw.

Helmeppo couldn't believe that this… monster could do such a thing. Once the darkness receded, Luffy turned his frightening gaze to him.

"So are you going to lead me to where you kept Zoro's swords, or am I gonna have to turn this place upside-down?"

* * *

As Coby finished untying Zoro, they saw Luffy come back carrying three katana and an unconscious wimp.

Luffy grinned. "Welcome to my crew!!!"

(In some island further along the East blue)

Marshall D. Teach, now known as "Blackbeard", had done among the following; one: gain great power, and two: started a crew with a navigator, a helmsman, and a sniper.

During his travels, Teach decided to lay low from Whitebeard's wrath, and shot out of the Grand Line and into the East Blue. He had spent a year and half there trying to find a worthy crew. Luckily, he found 3.

A large muscular, masked-wrestler named Jesus Burgess was the champion of a small wrestling federation, Laffite was a strange, mime-looking navigator who used to be a renowned police officer until he succumbed to police brutality and was fired for it. Van Auger was a mystery to them all, but proved to be an excellent shot by firing a seagull at 100 meters.

Now all he needed was a doctor (and a better ship than the raft they were on), and he would once again set sail for the Grand Line again.

"Captain, we have some unexpected company…" said Auger.

And sure enough they spied an enemy pirate ship. Blackbeard pulled out a telescope and peered at the captain of the ship; a large, dark-skinned man wearing gold-plated armor halted their approach.

"WHO DARES HALT THE GREAT EL DRAGO?!!!" roared the captain.

Blackbeard stared uninterestingly, this guy was annoying.

El Drago was not one to be patient, so he prepared to strike them down using his Devil Fruit power. Yellow energy surrounded him as he let out a mighty roar, resulting in a powerful energy blast aimed at the Blackbeard Pirates.

Blackbeard however, looked on with interest at the power that would soon be his.

(15 minutes later)

A flaming ship sank into the watery depths with few pirates escaping for their lives.

Teach smirked his toothless grin, elated at the power he had obtained; the Goe Goe no Mi (Voice-Voice Fruit). This power amplified 5x's would allow Teach to destroy fleets in a single note; it would certainly give him the opportunity to practice his singing.

He chuckled at the thought.

Yes indeed, Blackbeard had begun his plan, and soon enough, the World Government would fall, the New Age would be a farce, and the Era of Blackbeard would come to fruition.

* * *

Chapter 5 done!


	6. Trouble in Orange Town

**One Piece: My Version**

Chapter 6: Trouble in Orange Town and Recruiting Nami

* * *

It's probably going to be short, seeing as how Luffy is powerful.

(After Shell Town)

Luffy and his newly appointed first mate, Roronoa Zoro, had just liberated Shell Town from the tyranny of Captain Morgan, thus resulting in the remaining naval officers to thank them but gave them fair warning to get out of town, due to the fact they were pirates.

Of course Zoro was a bit unimpressed with the dinghy they had for a ship at first, until he saw what was pulling them; Ryoku.

The swordsman was a bit stunned when he saw a tame Sea King up-close, but Coby explained the reason for Ryoku's presence.

Speaking of which, Coby had joined the marines as a chore-boy/grunt; but to Coby, being in the Marines was a dream come true, even if Luffy had to beat him to a pulp in order to prove to the lieutenant that the bespectacled boy was not with them.

"You sure they'll let him join? I mean they do background checks or something…" Zoro pointed out; during his days being tied up, he couldn't help but overhear some trivial matters on how marines get drafted.

"Shishishi… Daijobu, they'll let him in for sure!" Luffy responded cheerfully.

Zoro sweat-dropped. "You know, compared to the other pirates I've seen… You're a little weird."

"Says the swordsman with green hair, wearing 3-piece earrings on his left ear…" Luffy smirked.

Zoro narrowed his eyes angrily at the straw-hat captain. "It's a representation of my santoryu-technique!" he yelled.

After a few hours of sailing in no particular direction, Zoro spoke up.

"Do you even know where we're going?"

Luffy scratched the side of his face bashfully. "Hehe… I was hoping that… you would know…"

"BAKA! THAT'S WHY YOU'RE THE CAPTAIN! YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS IN ORDER TO TRAVEL! HOW THE HELL WERE YOU ABLE TO FIND SHELL TOWN ANYWAY?" he yelled louder, this time his features changed to a more comical sense; his eyes were angry-white and his regular teeth were replaced by shark teeth.

"I winged it." replied the laid-back captain.

…

…

Zoro pinched his eyebrows. _'Just great… I have an idiot for a captain!'_ he cursed inwardly at his misfortune.

As Luffy tilted back, now looking up into the blue sky filled with a few clouds. His eye suddenly caught a large pelican flying just above them. Luffy focused on the bird and his eyes suddenly widened when he focused his vision onto the creature's ankle; a small, black band… with the symbol of the Revolutionaries.

Luffy smirked. _'Tou-san.'_

He suddenly remembered what Dragon told him and Ace when they were in their pre-teen years.

* * *

_(Flashback: Luffy- 10 years old, Ace- 13 years old) _

_As the boys finished their daily, grueling Haki training, Dragon called them both. _

"_Ace, Luffy! Come here!" he yelled. _

_The brothers went to see Dragon sitting on a boulder, while he was supervising their training. Indeed they had come a long way despite their age, and now was the time to tell them of what to expect. _

"_Now that you boys serve the Revolutionary Army, there are few missions that you both will be required to do." _

_Luffy raised his hand. "Yes Luffy?" _

"_Are these missions going to get in the way of our goals?" _

"_Yeah, if it gets in the way of our dreams, you can just forget it!" Ace added._

_Dragon smirked before ruffling the boys' heads. "Not to worry, the missions you two will get will be basically simple since you two are our covert operatives and they will __**not**__ get in the way of your dreams, I promised you two I would make them a reality, didn't I?" Dragon's smirk vanished as his tone went serious. "However you two won't get that many, because you two are our only operatives in secret that only I, Ivankov and Inazuma know about. That said, I expect you two to succeed, otherwise it could set back our plans." he warned._

_Luffy and Ace grinned as they each pumped an arm. "Don't worry Tou-san! We'll make sure that we'll get strong to complete our missions! Ne, Ace?" _

"_Aa! We're not ones to fail!" _

_Dragon's smirk returned. "I know… I'm just making sure that you two know what you're enlistment consist of." _

_Ace and Luffy turned their gazes to their wrists, which bore the small mark of the Revolutionary Army._

_Dragon continued to explain more about their missions. "Now, when you both are out at sea, there will be messages that will be handed to you discreetly- make sure __**no one**__ sees or know what you have."_

_Luffy raised his hand again. "Yes Luffy?"_

"_Ano… what about our nakama? Can we tell them?" _

_Dragon went serious again. "While I have no qualms with you two telling your nakama of your allegiance to the Revolutionaries, I implore you two that trust is a two-way street… They must trust you with their lives as you trust them with yours. In other words keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." _

_The brothers nodded in agreement. _

* * *

_(Flashback End)_

Luffy knew the situation if Zoro found out, so he came up with a good excuse.

"Hey, there's food!" and he stretched all the way over to grab the pelican; he succeeded- sort of. The pelican actually munched on his hand, causing Luffy's being to be pulled back instead of his fist.

"YOU DUMBASS!" Zoro yelled as Ryoku pulled the dinghy and swam at high speeds to catch up to his master who was flying away.

* * *

Three pirates wearing pirate-clown facial tattoos recently helped out a red-haired girl, whom they thought was in distress and promised to hand over her treasure to them. However, they were horribly wrong; instead, she conned them by planting a fake treasure chest as bait, and when they boarded her ship, she traded up and stole theirs.

"How'd she manage to see that storm cloud coming our way anyhow?" commented the fat pirate.

"I don't know, and I don't care! That bitch is gonna pay!" replied the middle pirate wearing a black snow-cap.

The third curly-haired pirate suddenly saw something heading in their way at an alarming rate.

"Uh… I think we have bigger problems." he said pointing to the ominous, giant shape in the water speeding towards them.

At first they couldn't see what was pulling what, until they saw an image of a boat.

The middle pirate smirked. "Alright boys, this is our one chance…. Grab onto that boat!"

And so they did.

* * *

Meanwhile in the hustle and bustle of Orange Town… Wait a minute… There is no hustle and bustle... just… silence… and a few tumbleweeds rolling by to prove the town's why would anyone want to vacate a nice place like Orange Town? It's not like it's under control of a pirate or something.

…

…

Oh wait… It is! Specifically, by the Buggy Pirates, led by one of the infamous pirates in the East Blue, Buggy the Clown.

Now there was nothing entirely special to the pirate-clown captain, except that he once served on Gold Roger's ship as a crew member. However, ever since his captain's execution, he went off on his own to claim the world's greatest treasure, Captain John's Treasure, which is said to be equally as great as One Piece; so in order to do this, Buggy couldn't stand out as much as his disbanded comrades, because if he did, the World Government would track his every movement and that alone would ruin his chances in searching for said treasure.

So he stuck to basic piracy and pillaging.

Now, however, he was looking for his map of the Grand Line that red-haired devil, Nami had stolen from right under his……nose.

In short, Buggy was not pleased.

"Somebody had better explain to me how you managed to let a weak girl like her, steal my map to the Grand Line!" he barked.

A fat, middle-aged, pirate, timidly walked up to his captain.

"Gomen-nasai, Buggy-sama… But we may have been due to the fact that we left the key in the lock of the treasure chest keeping the map, and only the robber knows-"

Buggy's eyes snapped wide open as he was instantly up in his face, threateningly.

".?"

The underling blanched before replying. "I-I-I s-said that only t-the robber knows."

"RUBBER?"

The underling quickly realized how his sentence was taken out of turn.

"No, no, Buggy-sama! I didn't mean that! It was a mistake!" he pleaded, trying to reason with his captain. But fate wasn't too kind today.

"A STEAK? NOW YOU THINK IT LOOKS LIKE A STEAK?" Buggy roared as he reached out and grabbed the crew-member by the neck.

"Ready the Buggy Balls!"

"No… No Buggy-sama! I'm sorry!"

"Fire!"

An explosion followed through, thus resulting in an incinerated town block and one less crew member. "Mohji, go and track that girl down… AND BRING BACK MY MAP!"

* * *

Running through the empty streets in another part of town away from the explosion, an orange-haired, teenage girl was currently being chased by two of Buggy's crew as they had found out that she was the thief. As they were about to catch up, an explosion was heard over their heads. They all stopped their little chase and looked up to see something falling from the sky. Of course, they couldn't see what it was as it came crashing down to the ground, due to the effects of Earth's gravity.

After a few seconds, the mass rose up from the small crater and it turned out to be… Straw-hat Luffy.

Luffy scratched rubbed the back of his head, and opened his eyes to the new environment around him.

"Are…? What the hell just happened? One minute I'm in the sky, and the next thing I know, I'm being _**blown**_ out of the sky!"

The red-haired girl suddenly hatched a plan as to make her escape easier.

"Thanks boss!" She shouted out loud enough to bring attention back to her.

"Huh?" The four clueless men echoed.

She didn't bother standing to replay. She took off running and yelled back. "I'll leave everything to you, sir."

That knocked three of the four out of their daze, now towering over the boy. "Boss, huh?"

(One quick beating later…)

"Now… where am I?" Luffy pondered until he heard a solitary clapping from above.

He turned his attention to the same red-haired girl on top of the roof, who had him deal with those pirates.

"That was incredible!" she cheered as she dropped down to meet him.

"Thanks….Who are you?" asked Luffy.

The red-haired girl walked up and extended her hand to greet him properly.

"I'm Nami."

"Luffy." he greeted back.

Now was the time to put a bit of her charm. "You're pretty strong… Say, how about you and I partner up? We'll make loads of money off of these pirates."

Luffy however walked away. "Not interested."

Nami was taken aback a bit, but before she could interject, she heard Luffy's stomach growling.

He turned back to face her. "I'm hungry…." he moaned.

* * *

(With Zoro and Ryoku)

'_Man, I can't believe this…'_ Zoro groaned inwardly at the situation. First, his idiot captain had to get caught by a pelican and hoisted away into the air. Then, three stooges for pirates hitched a ride and threatened to take over the ship, until he stopped them, but causing the bird to go out of sight.

At least Ryoku had tracked his master's scent, because the swordsman had the worst sense of direction ever. So they quickly made way to the docks where Zoro jumped off and ran to find Luffy in the town. But of course, he had the worst directional sense…ever.

* * *

(Back with Luffy and Nami)

Luffy was just finishing off a sandwich he just happened to come across inside a house that Nami showed him. She explained to him about how the people were deserted and that Buggy the Clown ruled with an iron fist.

"And what about you…? Are you here to rob the houses while the people are away?" Luffy implied.

Nami narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't insult me! I only steal from pirates!"

Luffy had finished his meal and got up. "Ahh… Delicious! Well thanks for the meal, bye!" and he walked out the door.

But Nami went after him. "Ch-Chotto Matte! What about my offer?"

Luffy stopped and turned to face her. "Well what can you do besides steal?"

Nami flashed a grin. "Well, my navigational skills are no laughing matter."

Now Luffy was interested. "Wait… So you're a navigator?"

Nami nodded. This caused Luffy's grin to appear and widen considerably.

"Alright! Now I've finally found a navigator to join my crew!"

'_Crew…? But he isn't a marine… Wait…'_

"By any chance, are you a pirate?" she asked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

Her cross demeanor returned. "I hate pirates more than anything!"

"Oh, come on!" he whined. "I need a navigator! It's just me and a swordsman who has the worst sense of direction!"

"Care to repeat that captain…?" spoke the rough voice that came from said swordsman, who seemed to be quite perturbed by his captain's comment.

"What? It's true! You couldn't find your way out of a paper bag!" Luffy countered.

Zoro snorted then looked at Nami. "Who's the girl?"

Luffy's grin returned. "Zoro, meet our new navigator!"

Nami slapped him over the head. "I just told you I hate pirates! I want nothing to do with pirates!"

Luffy went serious for a moment. _'Then why do you have pirate tattoo on your left shoulder?'_

"Ah… So here you are Nami…" drawled an unknown voice.

All three heads turned to a giant lion and a man with…bear ears?

…

…

…

At first, the trio stared at the strange man's attire, but then they started snickering and it eventually evolved into full-blown laughter.

"T-That's some headdress!" laughed Zoro.

"Oh, m-my sides are splitting!" cried Nami.

"Hahahahahaha! I wonder if he lost a bet!" Luffy added.

The headdress-wearing man however, was not amused as the tick mark was apparent on his forehead.

"How dare you? Do you three know who I am? I am of Captain Buggy's crew! I am Mohji the Beast Tamer. This is my lion Ritchie, the first animal I tamed."

The lion growled at the prey in front of him.

Mohji still noticed that the trio was still laughing at him.

"Ritchie, attack!"

The lion leaped at them, unsheathing its claws. Luffy saw it coming however and in an instant, he socked the lion on the right side of its maw with a single punch causing the massive creature to fly and crash through a few buildings.

Mohji's eyes bugled out of his skull as snot was dripping out of his nose. "RITCHIE!" he cried.

Nami couldn't believe her eyes; this guy, no older than herself just took down a huge, savage, bloodthirsty lion with just a solid punch.

Mohji was about to make a run for it, when all of a sudden, he was bashed over the head by a bespectacled old man wielding a spear and wearing old-fashioned battle armor.

As soon as he saw the trio, he raised his spear ready to fight.

"Who are you three? Are you with Buggy the Clown?" he demanded.

"Nope, but we are pirates." Luffy replied calmly.

"Don't lump me in with you two!" Nami yelled.

Then the mayor ranted about how pirates have been taking control of his precious village and people and proclaimed that he was going to do something about this and stormed off in the northern direction of the town.

Luffy and Zoro decided to follow him. Nami berated herself for following shortly, but probably she wanted to save the mayor from getting killed.

But before Luffy forgot, he picked up the unconscious form of Mohji by the scruff of his neck, swung him around and around and tossed him sky-high into the direction the Mayor went.

"What did you do that for?" Zoro asked.

Luffy grinned. "Message Delivery."

Later, they reached the town square where the mayor was being lifted off the ground, being strangled by a…disembodied hand?

"You're a…monster!" the mayor cried while being choked.

Buggy merely laughed. "Close… I ate the Bara-Bara no Mi(Chop-Chop Fruit). I'm a split man! Blades have no effect on me!"

Buggy had not noticed their presence yet until Luffy grabbed the hand that grabbed the mayor.

"Who the hell are you-" the pirate-clown was cut-off as he noticed something was off; his hand was spewing out blood as well as the stump he detached it from. Then Buggy began to feel an immense amount of pain from said stump.

"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!" Buggy hunched over in pain.

"Captain Buggy!" his men cried as they ran towards their wounded captain, but they were dumbfounded as to how this could happen to a split man.

Then something small hit the platform; it was his hand. As the wounds were healed, so was Buggy's power, so he was able to reattach his hand seamlessly. He was a little pale from the blood loss, but was still able to stand on his own.

He glared at the boy with the straw-hat. "Wh-What kind of power is that!"

"Why don't you come down here and find out? Big nose!" Luffy taunted.

…

Nami gaped at him. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Bastard…." Buggy hissed under his breath. "LOAD THE BUGGY BALL!"

Soon enough, there was a large cannon pointed downward at the Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and the mayor.

"FIRE!" and with a loud 'boom' a red cannonball with a clown Jolly Roger was fired and heading their way at high speed.

It would have hit the target, if it weren't for Luffy's fruit power.

"**Black Hole!**" and sure enough the same inky-black darkness outlined Luffy's arms as he summoned a large, smoke-like vortex out of his left hand in the way of the Buggy Ball's path. As a result, the Buggy Ball was swallowed whole by the darkness.

A silence fell through the opposing teams. Buggy's crew as well as the captain himself had their jaws drop to the floor and eyes bulge out of their skulls.

Nami and the mayor couldn't blink after witnessing what just happened. Zoro merely raised an eyebrow.

'_So he was responsible for the black smoke back at Shell Town.'_ he thought.

Luffy gave a dark grin as his hat overshadowed his eyes. "I have the powers of Yami-Yami no Mi… I'm a dark-man. My power is a Logia-type which controls the power of a black hole and its destructive gravity. I can absorb anything into my darkness… and repel it."

Buggy registered what he just said. _'Uh-oh…'_

With the same arm, Luffy summoned the same black vortex from before and lifted it to the pirate crew in front of him. "**Liberation!**" instantly the same Buggy Ball from before was shot out, this time at an accelerating rate. A large explosion was followed soon after, and the building that was claimed by the Buggy pirates had fallen and was reduced to rubble.

Luffy's darkness rescinded as he grinned. "Well that takes care of that!"

But sadly, he was wrong as he soon heard a rustling in the rubble and Buggy emerged from it, with a few scorch marks and carrying a few loaded bags of treasure. Beside him was some guy on a unicycle. Buggy looked at Luffy with a mixture of fear and anger; anger took over as he dropped the treasure.

"You damned bastard! Look what you did to my crew! You're gonna pay! Cabaji, kill them!

The man on the unicycle known as Cabaji, pulled out his sword and wheeled his way to them, but not before Zoro stood in his way.

"I'll take this one. You handle that guy." the swordsman gestured to Buggy.

"Hmm… then this'll be quick."

The mayor decided not to get in the way and hid in the nearest building. Nami on the other hand, took this opportunity to steal Buggy's treasure while the fights were going on.

Zoro made quick work of the acrobat on wheels, commenting that if he had been seriously injured it would be more of a challenge.

Buggy prepared to split up again until Luffy stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that, unless you want a repeat of what happened to your hand."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

Luffy tilted his head innocently. "Oh, did I not mention? My power is of a black hole, which pulls in everything, including Devil Fruit users… observe…" Raising a hand and aiming it at Buggy he summoned a small, swirling vortex in the palm of his hand. "**Kurozu (Black Vortex)!**"

The pirate-clown suddenly felt a powerful force lift him off his feet as he was immediately pulled in by an unseen force. Luffy roughly grabbed him by the neck. Buggy tried to use his powers to escape his grasp, but found that he couldn't. "Also, I can nullify any Devil Fruit user of his/her powers, and all I have to do is touch them."

Buggy's eyes widened respectively at this. This boy was a walking black hole with the power to cancel out Devil Fruit abilities.

"And now Buggy, it's time for your flight." Luffy outstretched his free arm and pulled it back into a fist.

"Seeya… **Gomu-Gomu no Pistol!**"

And in one shot, Buggy the Clown was sent flying through the sky until he was out of view. Luffy clasped his hands once again and brushed them off.

"Now _**that's**_ the end of that!" he grinned widely.

* * *

End of Chapter 6!


	7. Usopp the Liar and the Enigmatic Mystic

**One Piece: My Version**

Chapter 7: The Syrup Village Liar: Usopp and The Enigmatic Magician: Basil Hawkins!

* * *

(Two days later out after Orange Town)

Luffy smiled at himself for finding a both a swordsman and a navigator in 3 days. Nami was a bit frightened when she saw Ryoku, but how many pirates can say that they have a pet Sea-King? After a second meeting, Ryoku took a liking to her and showed his appreciation by with a lick.

He thought back to moment after he defeated Buggy with ease. After he sent the pirate-clown flying, the mayor thanked them all for all they've done for liberating their village. Luffy asked Nami to join his crew again, to which she replied "I told you I hate pirates! But if I stick with you two, I can get more treasure. So we'll be partners for a common goal."

But Luffy being single-minded in some cases, took that as a yes. Nami was happy because of the treasure she swiped from Buggy. Luffy gave his share to the mayor so that the townspeople could rebuild and the trio immediately set sail with the stolen Buggy dinghy and connected it with their own.

Zoro was a bit skeptical of the navigator/thief. He definitely had to keep a close eye on her or she would rob them blind.

Speaking of which, Nami stood up and put on the best serious face she could muster.

"Listen up! If we're going to the Grand Line, we can't work with this miserable excuse for a boat! In short, we need a ship!"

Luffy peered ahead as he saw a land mass. "Hey! There's an island over there! Maybe there might be a village there! And when there's a village… There's meat!" he yelled, emphasizing his hunger with a trail of drool at the corner of his mouth.

Nami slapped herself upon her forehead over Luffy's stupidity. Zoro was just laid back as calm as the waves. "Yeah, you get used to that, 'cause apparently the captain's an idiot full of surprises."

Said captain had his back turned, because he was currently in possession of the black ankle ring he pried off of that pelican before making his 'entrance' in Orange Towm.

'_I should probably hold off on decoding the message, until later.'_ he thought.

Eventually, they reached the shallows of the island and settled their ships. Ryoku tossed over the reigns as his master ordered him to stay submerged in the water.

As they examined the area, they were immediately on guard when they heard a rustling in the bushes along the cliff face. All of a sudden, small pirate flags emerged and small projectiles were fired against the sand near Luffy's feet, making him dance. Then out of nowhere, a young man about Luffy's age appeared at an outcropping halfway down the cliff. His bushy black hair was slightly tamed by a green, cross-lined bandana. He wore brown overalls, yellowish boots, and had a bag slung over one shoulder. His most prominent feature was his thin, three-inch nose.

"Let all pirates who come to my home, beware of the great and powerful Captain Usopp of the Usopp Pirates, a fearless adventurer with an army of 8,000 at my disposal!"

Luffy laughed, he liked this guy. Nami on the other hand, decided to end this nonsense. "8,000 you say? Or is it just three?" she said with confident smirk.

Three kids with vegetable-shaped hairstyles popped out of the bushes and ran, leaving their "captain", who was now as nervous wreck contrary to his bravery act from before.

* * *

(Later at the local restaurant.)

"So… you guys aren't here to ransack the town?" asked Usopp.

Luffy was too busy eating to answer, so Zoro answered for him. "We're just here to see if we can get any good ships for sale."

As soon as Luffy finished off a piece of meat, he spoke up. "You said your name was Usopp right?" The long-nose nodded. "You wouldn't happen to know someone named Yasopp would you?"

Usopp's eyes widened. "Y-You know my dad?"

Luffy looked surprised. "Oh, so you're the same 'Usopp' he kept mentioning non-stop… You know aside from the nose, you a lot like him!" he added in his usual cheerfulness. Usopp looked proud and happy for a moment that his father would continue to mention him. Most pirates with bastard children couldn't care less whether they lived or died.

"Of course that was 10 years ago when he stopped by my hometown in Fuschia Village. Hard to say where he is now."

All of a sudden, the same vegetable-headed kids came bursting through the double-doors looking like they just seen a ghost.

"Captain! There's a guy out on the pathway!" screamed the pepper-haired kid named Piman.

"He's got these weird tattoos and a scary face!" shouted the carrot-haired kid named Ninjin.

"And…And he's… Floating!" added the onion-haired kid with frames named Tamanegi.

Usopp stared quizzically at the trio of veggies before heading out to find this "floating man". Luffy trailed after them, while Nami and Zoro begrudgingly followed.

As the teens followed the kids, they wondered what compelled them to tell such an obvious fib. However when they got there, they were shocked, surprised and amazed (Luffy was mostly amazed) that they were actually telling the truth, for underneath a small, but shady tree, the man was indeed there.

He was a relatively tall man, reaching up to at least 8'4. He had long, flowing blonde hair reaching down to the back. And just as the veggie kids were pointing out, he had a medieval-styled cross at the base of the throat at the front of his neck, and triangle symbols completely covering his eyebrows. His attire comprised of a long, white coat with a ruffled neckline and sleeves, purple trousers, black gloves and pointed shoes, an armor-like armlet covering his shoulder and upper arm completely, and finally a light purple sash below the waistline, tying around a long-sword with an intricate design resembling a voodoo doll. He had his eyes closed due to the fact that he was deep in meditation, which would explain why he was sitting cross-legged in mid-air.

Luffy had stars in his eyes. "Sugei! He's really floating!" he exclaimed.

That outburst alone caused the man to open his eyes, revealing the sclera to be red.

"Can I help you with something…?" he spoke in a monotone voice with no emotion on his face.

"Hi, my name's Monkey D. Luffy! What's yours?"

…

"Basil Hawkins…" the enigmatic man replied.

Luffy took a moment to stare at him before speaking. "Wanna join my crew?"

Usopp and the veggie kids jaw-dropped, while Zoro and Nami whacked him behind the head.

"DON'T JUST RECRUIT PEOPLE OUT OF NOWHERE!" the shouted in unison.

Luffy rubbed the sore spot. "Why not? I can tell he's strong!"

"We need to know more about this guy, not just his name!" argued Zoro.

As the three argued, Hawkins was deep in thought. Though he didn't show it, but there was something that had been bothering him for the past hour and at that time, he was already meditating. However, he felt something powerful land on the shores of the island itself that disrupted his mantra. And now, the source of that power came from this boy.

'_I sense something emanating from him. His will is immensely strong and his spirit is wild, but his mind is placid… and they are all in perfect harmony.'_

He extended his hands, causing the bickering to cease, and tarot cards magically appeared out of his sleeve and ended up floating into a small circle.

'_Repercussions- 0%, Probability of Death-…0%?'_

His eyes turned back to the pirates as his cards flew back into his sleeves. "Surprisingly, there are no factors which show my demise… So I accept your offer to join your crew."

…

"EHHH?" Nami, Zoro and the Usopp pirates gaped at the mystic.

"Yatta, I have a fortune teller in my crew!" Luffy jumped into the air.

"I'm not a fortune teller, I'm a seer… I read the fates of others as well as the probability of outcomes. For example, you with the long nose…" he pointed to a now shaking Usopp who was hiding behind the kids.

"I-I-I'm t-the almighty Captain Usopp…!"

"HE KNOWS YOU'RE LYING, BAKA!" Zoro yelled.

Hawkins pulled out a single card and took a quick glance at it, then turned back to Usopp.

"You're going to discover a horrible secret about someone inconspicuous. The demon will unsheathe its claws once again and attempt to take the life of someone precious to you."

The long-nosed scaredy-cat now looked a bit taken aback.

"But the shadow of Death does not loom over anyone…today."

Nami looked a bit skeptical. "I don't believe you can see into the future."

Hawkins merely gave her a blank expression. "I never said I could see into the future. I can only see premonitions of things to come, though within a limited range of a week."

This time, Zoro spoke up. "Alright, but then what's with the card trick?"

Hawkins raised his arm slightly and pointed it at the swordsman. Instantly, Zoro was lifted off the ground and was levitated into the air. Everyone around looked astonished, while the stars in Luffy's eyes grew.

"N-Nani?"

"I also have the power of telekinesis, but I can only lift objects and people no bigger than a Sea-King… That is my limit."

"Sugei! Now I'm really glad that you're in my crew!" Luffy grinned.

Meanwhile the swordsman was still airborne. "Yeah, that's all well and good now… GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!"

Just as Hawkins released his power, Zoro fell down to the ground with a 'thud'. He dusted himself off, and turned to face Usopp.

"Look, do you know if we can buy a ship here?"

Usopp blinked before answering with a grin. "Oh, that's right… you guys are looking for a ship. I know someone who can help with that."

* * *

Usopp led the way to a huge, gated mansion, the veggie kids trailing behind him, as well as Luffy, Zoro, Nami and the newest addition, Basil Hawkins, following closely behind them. But instead of heading through the front, Usopp showed a blind-spot where they all could get through the fence without detection.

Usopp climbed up a nearby tree close to the second floor window and carefully positioned himself on a sturdy branch. He quickly searched his pockets and pulled out a couple of small rocks. He tossed them at the window, causing a *clink* until a shape opened the window.

"Usopp-kun, you're here!" a soft, feminine voice called out from the windowsill. It was a thin, pale blonde girl with brown eyes wearing a simple white dress.

Usopp grinned like an idiot. "Hi Kaya! How are you feeling?" the girl smiled back. "I'm feeling better today, and your stories always put me in good spirits. Speaking of which… what story will you tell me today?" she asked. Usopp blushed a bit at the compliment. "Before I tell you, I kinda need a favor from you." he gestured to Luffy and the gang down at the base of the tree.

Now Kaya was an excellent judge of character, especially when it came to new people. She looked down from her windowsill to see the people below her.

The one with the straw hat had fire in his eyes, the one with green hair and three swords may be intimidating, but had a calm nature about him as well. The red-haired girl had a confident aura around her, and the tall, blonde man… unreadable.

Still… 3 out of 4 ain't bad.

"Alright, I-"

"Halt!" an eloquent, masculine voice cut her off.

All heads turned in the direction of a man approaching and it turned out to be butler-looking type of guy. He had a relatively slim build with simple glasses and slicked green-black hair wearing a standard butler outfit with the exception of his oddly-striped gray shoes. Luffy and Hawkins took note of his sharp eyes that showed an intimidating aura around him, while his facial expression contradicted that.

"Please vacate the premises before I call the guards." he continued to speak in his usual condescending tone when dealing with strangers.

Kaya spoke up. "Kurahadol they're Usopp-kun's friends, they just wanted-" the butler cut her off again.

"I know exactly what they wanted… your wealth. Forgive me, Kaya-ojousama, but your too trusting of these ruffians. They would sooner rob you blind when your back is turned."

The butler tilted his head up to face the frightened sniper. "So, you are this _'Usopp-kun'_ that Kaya-ojousama keeps mentioning…?"

Usopp put on his usual brave act. "Aa! They call me-"

"I know what the villagers call you… Usopp The Liar, Usopp The Nuisance… Shall I go on?"

Kaya was about to interject, when she noticed Usopp merely scratching his cheek, as if the insult did nothing to him.

"Heh… did the villagers really call me that, or are you just making this up on the spot?" he joked.

"I fail to see the humor in you making the villagers' lives difficult enough with your constant ramblings of pirates invading."

Usopp shrugged and raised a nonchalant eyebrow. "You know, I get the feeling you don't like me."

"You constantly badger Kaya-ojousama with your nonsense." Kurahadol pointed out.

The long-nosed sniper pretended to look hurt just to mock him. "Oh, that's cold… I bet if you really got to know me…" he flashed a thumbs-up at the butler. "We could be buddies!" he grinned.

Kaya giggled at the playful banter Usopp countered against Kurahadol's cynicism.

The caretaker smirked as he adjusted his glasses with no use from his fingers. "No thank you… I don't associate myself with bastard children of lowlife pirates."

That struck a nerve in Usopp's core as his cheerfulness quickly dissipated and a flash of anger crossed his features.

"What did you say…?" the tone of anger in his voice matching his said features. He quickly used a hook in his bag to latch on to the branch he was on as he descended safely to the ground.

Kaya looked offended that her caretaker would insinuate such slander against Usopp.

Kurahadol merely fixed a glare of disgust at Usopp. "Why do you look so surprised? Your father abandoned you and your mother when you were but a child. And then once your mother died, you had no one to teach you to be civil or truthful. And finally, the reason why you always cry 'pirate' is because you grasp on to this pathetic desire of your father actually returning, when in reality, you know it's merely just a sad desperation attempt at gaining attention."

Usopp was like a bull seeing the color red, but the butler continued on. "And it shows that you share some of his rat-like qualities: sneaking your way into Kaya-ojousama's life, gaining her trust, then once you had accomplished that… you could take advantage of the ailing girl and swipe her wealth while she would turn a blind eye to your 'true nature' just like you are doing now If I had not arrived and stopped-"

***BAM!***

They all saw it coming, even Kaya with a shocked look etched onto her face. "Usopp-kun!" she cried.

Kurahadol was down on the ground clutching his sore cheek, but his glare was still fixated on Usopp. "You see? He knows that I know the truth and lashed out at me in anger to keep my mouth shut! He shouldn't be allowed near you Ka-"

"**SHUT UP!"** Usopp yelled back at the caretaker. Luffy and Hawkins took note of that small, but noticeable flicker of power in his yell. "You don't know shit about who my father is; you don't know shit about my mother, and you don't know shit about **ME!**"

'_He's tapping into this unknown power that Luffy has…'_ thought Hawkins.

'_Haki… it's small, but I didn't think he would have a high enough ambition for someone like him.'_ Luffy smirked to himself. _'Looks like he's more than just a coward after all…'_

Usopp continued his tirade, and even went as far as grabbing the butler by the scruff of his suit and threatening to punch him again if he insulted his father again.

"Yamete kudasai, Usopp-kun!" Kaya pleaded for him to stop the violence.

It was because of her that Usopp didn't hit her caretaker as he hated seeing her worry or cry more than anyone who would slander his family name.

"I don't care if you insult me, Kurahadol! But don't ever let me catch you talk about my father like he's some disease! He's a great man and pirate and I'm proud as hell to be the son of that great pirate and I hope to be a great adventurer like him and more!" he finished yelling, and a silence filled the air.

Then a single person was clapping. All heads turned to Luffy who seemed to keep his monkey-like grin while applauding Usopp's assertiveness and ambition. "Well said, Usopp. But I wonder, do you have the guts to back up your words?" The tall-tale teller looked confused as to where Luffy was going with this.

"C'mon Usopp, join my crew! I already know that your sniper skills are just as good as Yasopp's and you just tapped into your Haki. If you join us, you can live out your dream as true adventurer of the sea!"

* * *

"No." Usopp said in finality. Ever since they left the estate, Luffy had been asking the long-nose sniper to join his crew, to which every answer the straw-hat captain would get would N-O, NO. When Luffy asked why, he just tossed a small smoke-bomb and used that diversion to run away, leaving the veggie kids and Luffy's crew.

"That guy sure can run…" commented Zoro.

"He has mixed feeling about your offer, captain." Hawkins stated.

"Are you sure you want him in your crew?" inquired Nami.

Luff said nothing at first, and then turned to the veggies. "Do you know where he went?"

"He probably went to the south cliffside, it's usually where he thinks about stuff." said Piman, while the other two nodded in confirmation.

Luffy adjusted his hat and piece of wheat in his mouth before heading off in the direction Usopp ran in. "You guys stay here… I'm gonna have a little chat with Usopp."

"What are we supposed to do until then?" inquired Zoro. Luffy turned to grin at the three.

"You guys are my nakama… get to know each other!" he replied before running off to find the sniper.

Zoro and Nami sweatdropped while Hawkins remained stoic. Luffy was definitely the most unpredictable person they had ever met.

* * *

Part 1 end.


	8. Cruel Intentions Revealed

**One Piece: My Version**

Part 2: Cruel Intentions Revealed, Kuro of A Thousand Plans, Alive?

* * *

As the veggies waited for their captain, Zoro was taking a nap on the road and Hawkins was continuing where he left off in his meditation, Nami stared at the two incredulously. "Will one of you speak already?" she said irritably.

Hawkins opened his eyes and turned his gaze to the navigator. "What is it you want?" he spoke flatly.

"Well… It's like Luffy said before, we should take the time to get to know each other." she half-lied, to which the mystic was able to catch.

"Really? Because your intentions say different… like how you are planning to steal all the possessions when the captain least expects it."

Nami narrowed her eyes at the seer. "Are you reading my mind? That's a violation of privacy you jerk!" she raised her voice angrily at him while he remained stoic.

"I don't read minds… a true seer… a true mystic… can only read intentions within people's hearts." he explained to her. "Yours is a myriad of emotions. You have hatred for pirates, that's simple enough, but there's more to it; you're driven to carry a heavy burden on your shoulders to save your precious people. Now what is the reason for your deep-seated hatred for pirates?"

Nami was shocked that this man was able to figure out that she was going to steal from Luffy the same way she stole from other pirates, and the reason _why_ she did so. But still, she didn't have to tell him her whole story, he just asked for the reason for her hatred of pirates and she would give him that answer.

"When I was eight… pirates took the life of someone precious to me…" she tore away from his gaze as she unknowingly clutched her left arm.

Now Hawkins felt pain react from her heart. He didn't need to know anymore.

"I see…"

After an awkward silence, Nami regained some composure and decided to change the topic.

"So… Is this your hometown as well…?" she asked.

"No. I hail from an island of mystics, located in the North Blue. I was born and raised my whole life on that island learning the ways of mystics."

The surprise on Nami's face returned. "Wait… you're telling me that there's a whole island of psychics, mystics, and seers?"

"Yes…" he replied.

"Oh, my…"

"Among all the mystics in the island, I am the strongest because I could see premonitions of things to come within a week, while others could only see scattered visions within a day or two."

Just as the navigator was about to ask more, when Piman, Ninjin, and Tamanegi came running up to them with incredulous looks plastered on their faces.

"Guys, guys, guys! You're not gonna believe this!" exclaimed Piman.

"It's this weirdo guy who walking around the whole town…" Ninjin started.

"Backwards!" finished Tamanegi.

It was at this time that Zoro had awoken from his nap with great, big, yawn. He rubbed his eyes as he stared at the kids who disturbed him from his nap.

"What the hell are you brats screamin' about now?" he asked irritably.

"They just said that they saw a man walking backwards." Hawkins stated.

Zoro looked at him quizzically until the kids pointed behind them. All heads turned to a man wearing heart-shaped sunglasses, moonwalking right past them.

…

"That was weird." said Nami, while everyone voiced their own agreement.

* * *

Luffy caught up to Usopp to see that he was standing below a tree and facing the ocean.

"I know you're there…" the teen remarked. Luffy still walked up and sat down next to him and stared out to the sea as well. He sensed that Hawkins was correct in saying that Usopp did have mixed emotions about his offer.

"You really do want to go out to sea don't you…?" Luffy implied.

The sniper let out a long sigh. "It's not that simple; I have my home to think about and the Usopp pirates…"

Luffy smirked. "What about Kaya…?" Usopp hid his embarrassment but the blush was apparent on his face.

"W-What about her…?"

The captain's grin widened. "I see how she affects you, your heart nearly jumped out of your chest just by seeing her. You were extremely happy when you heard her laugh; see a pattern?"

After a few seconds, Usopp sighed in resignation, seeing as how the pirate wasn't going to buy his lies.

"Alright I'll be honest… I love her. I want to tell her how I feel, but I'm afraid she'll reject me, and I can't go out to see knowing she's still sick… she'll just worry herself to death and it'll be my own damn fault. So you see, you don't want me to join your crew… I'm too much of a coward to do so…" Luffy was about to interject when they both spotted two suspicious figures down at the bluffs beneath their location. Usopp turned to look at them. One of them wore a cowboy hat, heart-shaped sunglasses, and had some odd goatee. His wardrobe looked like it'd come out of the closet of some demented disco dancer, and he was toying with an odd steel ring in his hand. The other man was none other than Kurahadol, Kaya's caretaker.

The sniper's eyes furrowed a bit. _'Odd… What's Kurahadol doing here?'_

Luffy was also curious as to what the high-and-mighty butler was doing with a strange man doing the moonwalk, so both he and Usopp crouched down from their spot as to avoid detection while they while they quietly listened in on their conversation. They heard Kurahadol speak first.

"Jango, you were supposed to remain inconspicuous, yet I heard from a few of the townspeople that you were walking backwards along the way." The butler spoke with displeasure as he adjusted his glasses. This time, his attitude seemed a bit more… darker and sinister.

The strange, aloof man seemed to respond normally to this Kurahadol's attitude. "Calm down, captain. I was just walking through town practicing a little dance move, that's all. Anyway, why did you call this meeting, Captain Kuro? Are you finally giving the crew the signal to invade this village and steal that entire girl's money?"

Usopp looked scared for a moment as he shivered slightly. _'M-Masaka! Did that guy just call him Captain Kuro…? As in "Kuro of A Thousand Plans"? But… I thought he was caught by the Marines and executed…!'_ he thought frantically while Kurahadol, A.K.A. Kuro, continued the conversation.

"I told you before, Jango, I need you to hypnotize her into writing a will leaving everything to Kurahadol, i.e. me, then all you have to do is order your crew to ransack the town and make sure you kill Kaya. I didn't spend these past 3 years clawing my way through to gain her trust, even making her parents' deaths look like accidents."

The sniper's eyes widened in fury, replacing all the fear he had earlier, and clenched his fists. This man, who insulted his lineage earlier, was really the most infamous pirate in the East Blue who was still alive and hid inside his village for the past three years, and killed Kaya's parents, without her knowing, making him her only source of comfort. And now he was going to kill Kaya next, all the while posing as the innocent butler who 'failed' to 'protect' her.

"Don't worry, captain. You just leave the 'accident' to me, while my men do the damage to this village. We just need your signal at dawn, and we'll be there in 3 hours." replied Jango with a smug grin.

Usopp was contemplating on how tell everyone that a real pirate attack would come at 10:00 in the morning. That's when he saw Luffy standing up, practically giving away their position. But perhaps they hadn't noticed yet, if they could just slink away quietly, they could warn the villagers.

Sadly though, Luffy was not one to know silence.

"Oi, teme! You'd better think twice about attacking if you know what's good for you!" he shouted at the two, earning the attention of Jango and the annoyance of Kuro.

"It seems we have two insects on the wall." Kuro pointed out. "Jango, take care of loud one."

Jango used the same steel ring and began to swing it on a string. "When I say one, two, Jango, you'll fall asleep. One, two, JANGO!" All of a sudden, Luffy felt really odd, his eyelids started to droop and his body stopped listening to him, like he was about to keel over and fall asleep. Which was exactly what he did, only once he fell frontwards, thus falling from the cliff and came crashing down onto the stone terrain.

"Luffy!" Usopp cried out. He was certain he was dead, as he fell from a high ledge point of the cliff and landed headfirst into the rocky terrain.

Wasting no time, Usopp ran for his life back to onto the trail and warn the village of the upcoming invasion.

"Should we stop him, sir? He could ruin your plan." asked the hypnotist, earning a dark chuckle from the ex-pirate captain.

"It won't matter… after all; Usopp has the worst reputation as the Village Liar. I doubt even Kaya _-ojousama_ will believe him, and that's all the edge I need."

Usopp ran and ran and just kept on running until he entered the village and began proclaiming another pirate attack; only this time, it was the truth.

However, the villagers did not think so, because they immediately came out of their houses with brooms and pitchforks (The pitchforks were mostly for intimidation…mostly.)

"Usopp, when the hell are you gonna grow up?" shouted a villager.

"Yeah! We know you just lie about pirate attacks to get a kick out of it, but enough already!" complained another.

Usopp shook his head fervently as he tried to organize his thoughts. "It's no lie! Pirates are coming tomorrow attack the village, and Kurahadol is really Captain Kuro! He's the one responsible for Kaya's parents' deaths, and now he plans to do the same to her!"

Of course that just made the villagers angry.

"How dare you make up lies about Kurahahol! He's the kindest man this village has!" voiced one villager.

"And he's been like a second father to Kaya ever since her parents died!" voiced another.

Usopp couldn't believe this; they didn't believe him. But he soon realized that it was his own damn fault for lying 24/7 all these years.

But there was one chance, and he hoped that _she_ would believe him. So he ran away from the angry villagers who were throwing all kinds of garbage at him. He ran along a shortcut through and went through his usual secret door, and climbed his usual tree and threw rocks at the window. Kaya showed up instantly.

"Usopp-kun, what are you doing here? Do you have another story?" she smiled but then it faded and turned into worry as she saw him looking panicked and out of breath.

"Kaya…! You have to find someplace to hide… somewhere no one knows about and stay there!"

The girl looked confused. "Is this supposed to be a joke? I'm sorry, I don't quite understand it." Usopp shook his head and quickly organized himself.

"Kaya, listen to me! For your own safety, you have to come with me!" This caused the girl to blush a bit. "Kurahadol is really the infamous pirate Captain Kuro! He killed your parents to and made them look like an accident occurred. And now he plans to have you sign over the rights of your wealth to him. It's all been a lie! A glorious lie that he concocted for the past 3 years since he arrived!" he gasped as he ended his rant, but was disappointed by what the outcome was.

The girl that he secretly loved was close to tears.

"How could you….?" she spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Kaya…-"

"How could you say such things about Kurahadol! I know what he said about your father was out of line, but so is this! Your lies were actually enjoyable… they made me laugh… but now you're saying horrible things about a man who has done nothing but take care of me, while I was sick! I…I don't want to see you anymore… Usopp…"

Deep inside, Usopp's heart was breaking. She didn't believe him either.

"Oi, do you hear voices in the courtyard?" One of the guards asked. The other guard looked back and eyes widened.

"Hey! It's the liar! He snuck onto the estate again!" The other guard shouted.

Usopp panicked, and pleaded with Kaya hoping to tell her the right thing to say, but he couldn't find the right words to it.

"I'm…He isn't… I-I…Argghh!" without thinking he grabbed Kaya by the waist and made his way down the tree.

"Usopp! Let me go! You're hurting me!" Kaya cried.

Suddenly the guards came rushing in, led by another servant of hers who had the appearance of a sheep.

"Kaya-ojousama! Has that ruffian harmed you in any way?" the one called Merry asked.

"Merry…!"

Usopp wasted no more time, and pulled at Kaya's arm, but found that she wouldn't budge.

"Kaya, what are you doing? I have to-"

***SLAP!***

Usopp and Merry were both surprised, but none more so than the sniper. He stared at the heiress who had unshed tears pouring down the sides of her face. She yanked her hand away and turned away from him.

"Get out…"

"K-Kaya… P-Please-" Usopp practically begged, but was willing to get down on his hands and knees in front of her, to make her understand.

"GET OUT!" she screamed at his face, but had her eyes scrunched as she couldn't bear to look at him anymore. Usopp tried to take Kaya's hand again, only to hear a single gunshot and a sharp pain in his arm. The source of the shot came from Merry, who looked ready to kill him if he wasn't careful. In the end, Usopp had no choice but to run away, that was all he could do.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Luffy sat up, feeling a bit drowsy. He scratched his head as he examined the area around him, only to find that he was still at the bluffs, only it was now sunset. "Are… Where am I…?" his eyes widened in what had just transpired. That butler was really a pirate planning to kill that young girl Usopp had a crush on. He clenched his fists in anger at the thought of how cowardly Kuro was to plot in such a way; he didn't deserve to be a pirate.

Suddenly he felt a sense of vibration in his left side-pocket. He pulled it out and the source of it turned out to be the small, black ring he found of that pelican above Orange Town; the one bearing the mark of the Revolutionary Army. He eyed it curiously as to why it did so, until he saw a small, unseen latch that blended into the ring. He carefully opened the latch with his left index finger and thumb and found it surprisingly easy to open.

'_Buru-Buru-Buru…Buru-Buru-Buru…'_ It was a Baby Den-Den Mushi (Baby Transponder Snail); it was white with black stripes and incredibly small… smaller than a regular Baby Den-Den Mushi should be; it was practically as thin as paper. He pressed the small receiver button, awaiting who would it be.

'_Luffy…'_ spoke a familiar, commanding voice. Luffy grinned, showing off his pearly whites to nothing.

"Tousan!" he replied, happy to hear his father's voice.

"I see you got the Slim Den-Den Mushi. It was designed by one of our scientists for covert operatives for you and Ace."

Luffy's grin lessened, but was still smiling.

"I'm also proud of what you did in Shell town. Thanks to you, we've won the town's trust and established another base of operations there."

"Cool!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Now then onto business; what is your current location?" Dragon asked.

"I'm at a small island in the East Blue called Gecko Island. We're currently in Syrup Village. I already have a first-mate swordsman, a navigator, a mystic, and I'm about to recruit a sniper."

"Syrup Village, huh…? Luffy, for your first mission, I want you to meet a contact of mine, he goes by the name of Merry, get him alone and tell him who you are, then he'll give you a ship to sail for the Grand Line."

Luffy nodded, but before he could say anything else, he heard footsteps echoing a few meters away. "Oops, gotta hang up tou-san." he spoke quickly as he closed up the communicator and slipped it back into his pockets. He got up on his feet and turned to see his crewmates and the Usopp pirates.

"Oh, hey guys." he greeted, but not before Nami bonked over the head.

"Where the hell where you?" yelled Nami, raising her steaming fist, and ready to deal another blow.

"Witch!" screamed the terrified veggie trio, before Nami tilted her heated glare at the boys, causing them to almost soil themselves... almost.(Yeah, she's that scary, O_O!)

Luffy looked confused until his eyes widened again. "Oh, shit! That's right! That butler's really a pirate captain and he plans to kill that girl and the villagers tomorrow!"

Nami's eyes widened at this new information while the kids were jaw-dropped. But Zoro merely raised an eyebrow and Hawkins remained stoic. It was then Usopp showed up clutching his wound, but once the veggie kids came into his view, he immediately hid his distressed face and used his small arm-warmer to cover up the wound. Immediately the kids ran up to him.

"Captain, we heard about that butler!" yelled Piman.

"Yeah, don't worry Captain, we'll help you fight off the pirates!" added Temanegi

"Because nothing's stronger than us, the Usopp Pirates, right Captain?" cheered Ninjin.

Usopp said nothing at the moment, but then let out an uproarious laugh.

"HAHAHAHA…! Boy I sure fooled you guys! I made up that lie about Kurahadol being a pirate to get back at him for bad-mouthing my dad!" Usopp grinned.

Luffy looked confused at his 'lie' until the answer came to him moments later.

"Really? So it was just another lie then?" asked Piman.

Ninjin sighed. "And I thought it would be something fun to do…"

"Yeah, I actually thought you were serious this time, Captain." added Temanegi.

…

…

…

"But…" this time, the veggie kids expressions fell to disappointment. "I never thought Captain would stoop that low…" said Piman.

Ninjin frowned and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I gotta say… not cool."

"I don't like that butler either, but, the Captain would lie just to hurt someone…?" Temanegi voiced his own agreement.

Afterwards, the kids departed down the road and back to their respective homes, leaving the village liar with the pirate crew. Then nightfall arrived and Usopp walked around until he found a rock to sit on and looked like a broken man.

…

"You did good Usopp, lying to these kids to keep them safe." said Nami.

"They would've just gotten in the way." Zoro added.

Usopp tilted his head up to face the crew. "Even so, the others don't believe me… not even… Kaya…" his voice cracked with emotion as he mentioned his crush. He turned his face Hawkins. "You were right, about that prediction…"

Hawkins just stared.

Immediately he stood up and put on the best 'brave' expression he could muster. "But… I love this village and everyone in it! If they think it's a lie, then fine… but this lie will reveal to be true come tomorrow morning…"

Luffy and the crew then saw blood trickling down his wound and seeping a little into his arm-warmer. Nami took the liberty of bandaging it up to stop the bleeding while Usopp continued his speech.

"I will protect this village with my very life, and I won't stop until they give up and run away! Kuro won't lay a finger on Kaya while I'm still alive and breathing!" The crew noticed his legs starting to shake. "Tomorrow, everyone will live another peaceful day and it'll be thanks to Captain Usopp!" tears were beginning to flow and he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve.

…

Luffy grinned while pulling out a piece of grass and putting it in his mouth. "Guess you'll need some help then, huh?"

Usopp looked confused for a moment. "Wha-"

"You're hopelessly outnumbered, you won't stand a chance. Plus you got guts for someone like you." Zoro pointed out.

"Just remember that all their treasure is mine." stated Nami.

Hawkins continued to remain mute.

"You guys…" Usopp almost started to cry again, but held it in and came back with a smile.

"Thank you!" he cried. "But what can you guys do?" Usopp inquired.

"I cut…" said Zoro.

"I stretch and absorb…" said Luffy.

"I steal…" said Nami.

"I levitate…" said Hawkins.

"I hide…" Usopp said before Luffy, Nami, and Zoro turned on him. "YOU'LL FIGHT TOO!"

Usopp chuckled nervously before telling them he would go to his house and gather every trick up his sleeve to prepare the battlefield. Hawkins pulled out a card, and Luffy turned his attention to the mystic.

"Hawkins, you've barely said a word… what's up?" asked Luffy.

With his usual emotionless expression he looked at his crew. "The Shadow of Death looms over Usopp tomorrow."

* * *

Later that night at Kaya's estate, Kuro was preparing his things and getting ready to enact his 3-year plan. He turned his attention to Merry who was just finishing fixing the chandelier.

"Merry, do you know where Kaya-ojousama is?" he asked.

"Ah, she upstairs in her room, sleeping. Poor girl, today she seemed really upset, no thanks to that ruffian Usopp. He even had the nerve of accusing you of being a pirate!" he spoke with slight disdain for the village liar as he climbed down the ladder.

"Mmm… indeed… I trust he has been taken care of..?"

Merry nodded. "Of course, he won't be bothering ojousama anymore. In fact, Kaya-ojousama said that she never wanted to see Usopp again.

Kuro smiled darkly. "That can be arranged…" he muttered.

"What was that?" Merry wasn't sure he had heard him correctly.

"Oh, nothing…." Kuro turned his attention outside the window he was facing until at the corner of his eye, he spied a small present on the table. "What's this?"

Merry saw the object that Kuro was referring to and smiled. "Oh, that's a present from Kaya-ojousama to you!"

"For me?" he asked as he started to open it, revealing a brand-new pair of glasses.

"Yes. Tomorrow will mark the 3-year anniversary of your arrival here on this island and into Kaya-ojousama's life. She noticed how much you fix your glasses, so she bought the right pair for you so they wouldn't fall off…Oh, she's such a kind and generous soul…" Merry said as he wiped away tears of mirth away from his eyes with a handkerchief.

Kuro turned back to the night sky. When he noticed a crescent moon was out, his expression went from calm to sinister. "The crescent moon is out tonight… it really brings out the worst in me…"

Merry looked puzzled at Kuro's meaning, until he saw said butler/ex-pirate smash the gift onto the floor. Merry looked appalled.

"Kurahadol… why would you-?" his queries were interrupted when saw that look in Kuro's eyes that he had never seen before.

"Interestingly enough Merry… that the village liar would actually tell the truth for once.

Merry's eyes widened in horror as he blanched a bit. "Nani? You mean to say that you're-"

"I am sorry Merry, but I can't let you live, now that you know…" Just as Merry was about to yell, his voice never got through as he felt a set of blades claw at his upper body.

Kuro put away his Cat-Claws into a duffel bag he had concealed from view. He took a deep breath to control his bloodlust. He only got this way during a crescent moon, which earned him the title of being the most ruthless pirate captain in the East Blue.

"Nothing will interfere with my plans…"

* * *

Chapter 8 done!


	9. Pirates Invade Syrup Village

**One Piece: My Version**

Part 3: The Pirates Invade Syrup Village!

* * *

(The Next Day- at 9:50 in the morning.)

Usopp wiped the sweat off his brows as he just finished setting up the last of his traps on the beach. The terrain itself was a very steep slope from the shores to the upper terrain, so Usopp took the liberty of covering the entire floor with oil grease. And a good number of spring loaded traps.

"You sure did a good job with the traps Usopp." commented Luffy.

Usopp grinned under the praise. "Of course! When it comes to traps and sniping, I'm a natural!"

"It's almost time…" said Zoro.

A few moments passed, and so far no ship had come into view. Usopp looked confused.

"Where are they? They should be here by now."

Luffy couldn't help but sense a nagging feeling at the back of his brain (Yes Luffy has a brain!) until a light bulb flashed in his head.

"Hey! Wasn't there a beach on the other side from here?" the captain inquired.

…

…

…

…

Usopp clutched his head as his jaw dropped in panic. "Shit! I forgot there's an identical bluff on the North Beach!" he stopped what he was doing and ran as fast as he could in the direction of the beach with Luffy quickly following behind.

Then it was Nami's turn to scream. "All my treasure's back on the boat!" she made a quick turn, Hawkins narrowly dodging her blitz while Zoro wasn't so lucky as he was knocked over and fell forward onto the oil slick and down the slope.

"Sorry Zoro, but my treasure's in danger… no hard feelings, okay?"

Hawkins turned his head down to see the swordsman desperately struggling to get back to the top.

"A little help here would be nice!" Zoro yelled. Instantly, he was lifted off the ground and brought back up on the ledge not covered in oil.

"We should get going…" stated Hawkins and was about to run after his crew, but Zoro's voice halted him. "Matte… Hawkins, is it really true what you said about that prediction, about Usopp dying…?"

"While my premonitions are a bit difficult to see, the results are the same, Usopp will die today."

Zoro snorted. "Well… I'm not one to believe in fate so with all due respect… screw your predictions!" he ran off following Nami's direction, leaving Hawkins to his thoughts.

Hawkins actually showed a look of surprise by raising an eyebrow a half-inch. That was the closest he had ever shown emotion besides natural shock when in battle.

"I hope for Usopp's sake, that my premonition is wrong…" he thought out-loud before heading off to the real battlefield.

A couple minutes later the crew, plus Usopp, managed to get to the north side just in time, as they saw a large ship with a black cat figurehead anchored on the beach. The opposing crew came down, along with Jango, who was shocked to see the same straw-hat boy looking alive and well. _'How can that be? He fell off a cliff!'_

Luffy noticed the ship and decided to even some odds. **"Ryoku, attack!"** he shouted using a bit of Haki to call upon his pet. Instantly, the Lord of the Coast shot up from the water and let out an almighty roar. The Black-Cat pirates, plus Usopp, had their eyes bulge out of their skulls and their jaws drop down to the floor at the sight of the Sea-King.

The sniper shakily glanced towards Luffy. "O-Oi, L-Luffy… By any chance is that Sea-King, your pet…?" he nervously asked.

Luffy scowled childishly before answering. "Of course not… He's my nakama!" he grinned.

Whether Usopp knew it or not, he just made friends with a very powerful person. Ryoku then coiled himself around the ship and began to pull it back with ease. The hypnotist thought quickly and pulled out his pendulum and faced the sea monster, getting its red eyes glaring at him.

"When I say One, Two, Jango, you'll fall asleep! One, Two, JANGO!"

Ryoku suddenly felt sleepy and felt his hold on the ship go lax and submerged himself into the depths. Luffy clenched his fists angrily; no one, NO ONE, took advantage of his nakama, and he was going to prove that to that stupid hypnotist. He stomped his way forward, cracking the floor with every menacing step he took.

Zoro pinched his eyebrows and Nami groaned while Hawkins remained neutral and Usopp was dumbstruck.

"He's not big on brains is he…?" Nami pointed out.

The opposing crew was now scared shitless, until Jango turned to his crew and used his pendulum on them.

"When I say One, Two, Jango, you'll have immense strength and be unstoppable! One, Two, JANGO!"

Almost immediately, the crew looked more intimidating and had rippling muscles contrary to their previously meek exteriors. One even demonstrated this by smashing the side of the cliff and it came crumbling down.

Nami looked nervous. "They all got stronger because of that guy!"

"That man is a hypnotist, although he's not very strong in terms of spiritual discipline." Hawkins pointed out.

Zoro looked at Nami and Usopp as he got out his three swords. "You two stay back! Hawkins get ready!" the mystic nodded and unfolded his arms, preparing to attack.

But Luffy was already on the attack as he began to punch his fists out in a rapid motion.

"**GOMU-GOMU NO GATTLING GUN!"**

The supposedly strength-enhanced pirates were quickly taken out by Luffy's strong punches; the teen didn't even bother using his Haki. However once Luffy retracted his punches, he noticed Jango directing his technique at him.

"When I say One, Two, Jango, you'll fall asleep! One, Two, JANGO!"

And just like his nakama-pet, Luffy instantly fell asleep.

"I can't believe this…" Nami groaned.

"Actually, our captain's actions inadvertently helped us." Hawkins raised a finger pointed at Jango. "It's just him."

Jango smirked at his comment. "You think so, huh…? Sham! Buchi!" two figures popped out of the ship and were at kneeling at Jango's sides in a flash.

"You called…" said the hunchbacked, green-haired, cat-looking pirate.

"Captain Jango…?" the fatter-looking, feline-pirate.

Jango grinned. "Meet the Nyaban Brothers!" he then pointed to the swordsman. "You two kill that pirate!" he ordered.

The brothers decided to play their little game with their opponent by becoming scared and lacking confidence. "B-But Captain… that guy looks really strong!" Sham whined pathetically.

"Y-Yeah!" I don't think we stand a chance at this guy!" added Buchi who was looking a bit shaken.

Jango knew their little façade and decided to play along. "You cowards, do as I command! Sham attack!"

Zoro smirked. "They don't look that tough." he spoke confidently.

"Zoro…" Hawkins called him back. "Do not underestimate them; I sense their appearance is not what it seems. I would advise you to be on your guard."

Zoro turned serious, seeing as how Hawkins didn't seem like the type of person to be mistaken. "Got it…" he replied as he unsheathed his three swords and undid his bandanna on his shoulder and wrapped it around his head, all while flashing his demonic grin in anticipation.

As Sham flailed his arms like an idiot, he was secretly preparing his _Neko Baba_ (Cat Snatch) technique so he could steal his swords. However he did not expect his opponent to go all out; which was what Zoro counted on as he performed his signature move.

"**Oni-Giri!"** he tri-slashed the cat-pirate, blood flying from his severe wounds and hunched over in pain.

"Sham!" cried Buchi. The bigger cat-pirate then snarled in anger. "You bastard! How dare you hurt my brother Sham?"

"Jango…! What is going on here?" a sinister voice rang out causing everyone to look in the direction behind the Straw-hats. The source of the voice revealed to be none other than Captain Kuro carrying a duffel bag and he did not look happy at all; in fact, he looked vivid.

"I expected you to have a hold on things, but instead you're fifteen minutes late and you've already lost _all_ of your men to these rat-tags!" He shouted.

"B-B-But Captain Kuro-"

"I'll give you 10 minutes, and if you can't get rid of this problem, I'll kill everyone right here!" he yelled.

Jango knew Kuro was good on his threats, especially his death threats. "Sham! Buchi! Enough fooling around! Kill that sword-bastard and the rest of them!" he ordered.

"Right!" the both replied and with speed that Zoro had a little trouble following, they went on the attack and made quick, strong slashes that rivaled Zoro's.

'_I can't keep fighting in this state of my strength. I'm nowhere near as powerful as Luffy. I must get __**STRONGER!**__'_

He countered their onslaught and both sides jumped back a few feet. Zoro quickly pulled two of his katana over his head and drew a stance. Closing his eyes, he tuned out the noise around him and only felt the vibrations of his opponents coming at a slower rate. _'Come on… focus… but keep a steady flow of mind and body…'_ Sham and Buchi were about to claw him to pieces. _'And channel it to the blades…'_ and with an exhale of breath, Zoro made his move.

"**Tora Gari! (Tiger Hunt)"** he made a quick, blinding, dash towards the Nyaban Brothers and did downward, descending double-slash, which caught them off-guard as they were slashed clean through the torso cavities and collapsed onto the ground, where they died from the severe injury accosted to them. Zoro noticed how sharp and clean were blows that he dealt them, but more importantly, at how he managed to 'see' their movements.

'_Could this be… the power Luffy has…?'_

"You now have six minutes Jango, just so you know." warned Kuro as he noticed the hypnotist was sweating bullets.

"Oh and by the way, the treasure's being stolen by that girl behind you." Kuro gestured with his index finger.

Jango shook out of his stupor and turned around to see Nami carrying at least 3 bags of treasure. She had paused for the moment when Kuro gave away her position and stared sheepishly at the hypnotist.

She laughed nervously. "Uh… hi?"

Jango glowered at the girl. "You little bitch… Take this!" he launched a pendulum ring at her aimed at her uncovered neck. Nami closed her eyes as she prepared for pain… but it didn't come. Instead, Hawkins took the blow at the neck in her place.

Her eyes widened in shock. _'He saved me, but why? Now he's…'_ her grim thoughts were dispelled as she heard a slashing noise coming from one of the unconscious pirates. The wound was made at the neck and caused his blood to spurt and die. One of the few conscious pirates looked on in horror.

"Captain Jango, this guy had wound on neck out of nowhere!"

"NANI?" the hypnotist shouted in disbelief. But what's more to his horror, Hawkins was still standing with no wound on him whatsoever.

"H-How are you still alive? I slashed your neck!" he yelled indistinctly while raising a shaky finger at him. From out of nowhere, a small, straw-like doll fell out of Hawkin's arm.

"I have the power of the Voodoo-Voodoo No Mi (Voodoo-Voodoo Fruit); any damage done to me and you only harm yourselves or others around you."

"A Devil Fruit User?" Jango practically jumped.

"But that's not all…" he raised his arm at the hypnotist, causing the man to be lifted into the air.

"W-What the hell?"

"I have the power of levitation…" he told the floating man.

"Don't tell me you're a mystic as well?" said mystic unsheathed his long-sword and with his free hand, levitated it and aimed it directly at Jango, who was already sweating bullets.

"W-Wait a minute… don't-" Jango began to panic.

Hawkins cut him off. "You are not worthy of being a true mystic…" but then he sheathed his sword. "But you are not worth the stain on my sword… Goodbye." Using his power, he threw his arm up to the sky causing Jango to be thrown into the direction away from the island at high-speeds until he was out of sight.

The Black Cat pirates were now terrified at the people they were dealing with; there was no way that they could defeat them.

Kuro stared at the space in the sky Jango flew off in then turned his attention to the crew. "You all now have three minutes…"

"Kuro!" cried a shaky voice. The ex-pirate tilted his head to the side to see Usopp aiming his slingshot right at him. The man looked at the village liar uninterestedly.

"Usopp, I didn't see you standing there." said Kuro. He practically could hear Usopp's teeth and legs chattering.

Usopp was scared as hell now. He knew he just gave away his position and he was nowhere near as strong as Luffy, Zoro, and Hawkins. But he stayed true to his word; he would not allow Kuro to harm anyone, not even Kaya.

"Tell me Usopp, that punch, you put everything into that punch to hit me, right?" he inquired. Usopp was still too afraid to answer.

"Well then, I might as well be honest…" Kuro suddenly vanished and reappeared beside the coward.

"That punch was more like a mosquito bite." before Usopp could register on what just happened, Kuro kicked him in the stomach, breaking a few ribs in the process. The impact sent the long-nosed sniper into a fairly large tree, causing it to splinter and fall over. Usopp was now bleeding pretty badly both internally and externally.

"Usopp!" Nami cried.

Zoro went on the attack and made an attempt at cutting Kuro on the spot, but all he managed to hit was the air. Then in just a few short seconds, a series of slashes cut his torso. He let out a painful yell as he was knocked back.

"Zoro!"

Kuro was now standing over the swordsman this time wearing both his Cat Claws. He adjusted his glasses with one hand, being careful not to cut his face in the process.

"My plan will go accordingly; crew or no crew… I will have Kaya's fortune and finally end this miserable excuse for a living!"

Nami turned to the mystic who was just standing there. "Why aren't you doing anything?"

Hawkins looked at the navigator/thief. "He moves too fast for me to use my powers, but that's not the reason why I can't attack." he gestured by pointing to a smaller, female coming from behind Kuro. Nami instantly recognized her.

"Oh no…" Nami dreaded.

"Kurahadol…" gasped a small voice. He turned his head to see Kaya standing before him, looking at him with unshed tears of disbelief.

"Please tell me it's not true… Please…" her voice cracked with emotion.

With a sigh Kuro let down his claws and approached the timid heiress. "Kaya, these last few years have truly been enjoyable; a healthy lifestyle, a beautiful house, and kind people who took me in." His face was calm and happy until his dark features returned. "However, I only enjoyed it because I endured it! I cared not for you or your parents, just your lifestyle, which is why I killed your parents, and bided my time for three years to get you to sign your will to leave everything to me and would live in the lap of luxury for rest of my days!" he snarled.

Kaya looked at her caretaker in horror. _'H-He never cared…? All he wanted was my family's fortune… Usopp-kun was telling the truth…'_

That's when she realized that Usopp wasn't around. She looked in various directions to find him but she couldn't.

"If you're wondering where Usopp is…" a dark smirk crossed his face. "He's around…" He began to raise his claws at Kaya, preparing to strike. "Too bad you won't live long enough to see him…" Kaya looked frozen in fear. "Goodbye, Kaya-ojousama…"

Time seemed to slow down. Kaya shut her eyes, preparing for the worst, but instead someone stood in front of her to receive it. She heard blades piercing flesh, and once she opened her eyes to see both of Kuro's claws run through Usopp's body.

The sniper puked up blood on Kuro's suit as he felt the blades retract. Kuro sneered in disgust. "Great, I've got this filth all over me!"

Usopp stood for a moment, and then collapsed onto the ground. Kaya stood speechless until she found her voice.

"NOOOOOOOO! USOPP-KUN!" she screamed. She knelt down to his level and sobbed pathetically into his form. Suddenly she heard a cough coming from him.

"K-K-Kaya…" he rasped.

"Usopp-kun! Don't worry, I'll go get help!" she made attempt to get up but Usopp stopped her. She looked at him oddly. Usopp shook his head sadly.

"No… let them think it's a lie… I want them to…"

"But-" she spoke but was interrupted by a violent cough. Her tears came back strong while she cradled his head in her lap. "I'm sorry… that I didn't believe you, Usopp-kun…"

Usopp struggled to lift his hand up touch Kaya's face. "I don't blame Kaya… I could never blame you… I love you…" it was getting harder to see now.

She hitched a breath at his confession. _'He's loved me…? Oh…Usopp-kun…'_ she smiled lightly despite her tears. "I love you too, Usopp-kun…" she hugged his form closer to her.

"Kaya….." his chest stopped heaving, signifying his last breath and dropped his hand from his beloved's face. Kaya sobbed harder and still held his lifeless body tightly.

Zoro was still unarmed and critically wounded, but glared at the pirate holding him down. _'Once I get out of this, you're mine you son of a bitch…'_

Nami watched on in fury. _'This is why I hate pirates!'_

Hawkins showed no emotion at all. _'The Shadow of Death has claimed him…'_

* * *

(In a white void)

Usopp opened his eyes and immediately he felt his eyes go sore with the pure white glare. Once he readjusted his vision he began to see that he was in the middle of nowhere.

"What is this place?" his voice echoed a bit.

"Usopp… my son…" spoke a soft motherly voice. Usopp's eyes widened as he instantly recognized the voice.

"Kaa-san…" he spoke in a hushed whisper. There standing a few feet before him was his mother, Banchina. Tears poured out of his eyes and Usopp ran to embrace his mother; he didn't care how long it was or how he was able to, but he got to see his mother for so many years.

"Kaa-san… I-… how…?" Usopp couldn't fathom how this was happening, until Banchina shushed him.

"Usopp, listen, you're dead…" Usopp looked at his mother in disbelief. "But God sent me here for two things; first to tell you that it is not your time as you have too much to live for, like Usopp pirates and Kaya-chan. I'm glad you were able to confess to her by the way…"

Usopp smiled widely. "Second, is that He wanted to give you three gifts when you get back; to help follow your dream." she placed a hand over his chest and a light filled him; he felt a warm but confident aura surrounding his heart.

"The first gift is unlocking the courage within your heart. The second gift is tapping into your Haki. The third, which goes in hand with the second, is great endurance, both physically and mentally to balance out your spirit."

Usopp felt faint. As he closed his eyes, he heard his mother's voice growing fainter.

"_You will be a great adventurer… just like your father. You can do it, my dearest son…"_

* * *

(Back to reality)

Kaya was still crying for her fallen love, she didn't even notice Kuro raising his claws again to strike.

"How touching, but don't worry… you'll be joining him soon enough…"

His murderous attempt was short lived as he felt an enormous force on him.

'_W-What is this…? This heavy feeling on my soul… like something wants to kill me….'_ Suddenly he felt two arms hold his hands in place. His eyes widened at what he saw; it was Usopp, and he had risen back from the dead.

"Impossible! I killed you!" Kuro shouted at the silent Usopp. He saw the sniper tilt his head up slowly only to be met by a furious glare. (Picture the glare like the one Usopp had when he dueled Luffy.)

No doubt; it was definitely Haki, although nowhere near as strong as Luffy's but still, the fact that Usopp unleashed his Haki says a lot. What's more, that small wave of Haki woke up the sleeping Luffy.

'_That Haki… it's Usopp's! Has he finally unleashed it?'_ thought the fully-awoken captain.

Zoro was sweating a bit as he felt Usopp's Haki. _'What is that force…? And why is it making it harder for me to breathe…?'_

Nami nearly blacked out at the pulse of ambition. _'W-What is this…? I can't-'_

Besides Luffy, Hawkins was the only one unaffected. _'Interesting… he defied death, and came back stronger. I can feel his mind, body and spirit coming into harmony… like Luffy. So this is the fabled Haki.'_ he thought.

Kuro tried to move, but discovered that because of Usopp he couldn't move at all let alone use his techniques. His attempts merely made Usopp tighten his grip on hands, as if trying to break them.

Kaya stared on amazingly, before she passed out. _"Usopp-kun"_

Usopp held his lethal gaze at Kuro until he began to speak with Haki amplifying his voice. **"I… WON'T…. LET… YOU…. HURT…KAYA…ANYMORE!"**

In a blinding speed faster than Kuro could see, Usopp let out a war-cry and with a single punch he socked Kuro square in the face. He could hear a painful yell coming from the ex-pirate as well as a sickening cracking sound from his face, the source of the sound being both his face fracturing and his glasses breaking. The impact of Usopp's punch sent Kuro flying towards his crew and crash-landing into the stone floor, leaving behind a large crater-trail.

As the dust cleared a bit, some of the pirates inched closer to their fallen ex-captain.

"Captain…? Captain Kuro…?"

But there was only silence. They checked to see if he was still alive, and he was… but barely.

"Oi… Come on captain, get up. We're still on to invade the village and kill the girl right?" one pirate nervously asked. His question was unanswered for two reasons: Kuro was still knocked out, and they noticed a pair of angry eyes glaring at them. Usopp's killer intent did not go unnoticed as he used slightly less Haki in his voice to intimidate the pirates.

"**Get out now! And never come back!"**

At first, the pirates were frozen stiff until Luffy called their attention.

"If I were you, I'd do what he says… losing's not really an option for this guy."

And they did so. They carried off with their fallen, including Kuro, and departed in their ship where they immediately set sail.

Luffy walked up the slope and met up with Usopp, whose glare lessened but continued to stare off in the direction of the leaving ship.

"Is Kaya safe…?" Usopp asked, looking ready to collapse. Luffy nodded and planted a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "She's safe… you did great Usopp."

'_And you discovered you ambition to bring out your Haki.'_ he mentally added.

"Good…" and with that he finally fell on the ground. Luffy noticed the bleeding had diminished, but Usopp still needed to be treated as quickly as possible.

"Oi… Luffy." Zoro groaned in pain. The captain looked on at his nakama; Zoro was injured, but not too much. Nami was looking a bit paler after Usopp's Haki wave. Hawkins still looked unharmed.

"Way come back to us captain…" the swordsman said sarcastically.

Luffy grinned sheepishly. "Ah, sorry…"

* * *

(3 days later)

Usopp groaned when he woke up and drowsily opened his eyes to see himself not in the white void, but in a fancy, comfortable room. _'What happened…?'_

He sat up from the comfy bed he was lying in to get a good look at his surroundings.

"Okay… I'm definitely not at my house… wait a minute… this is Kaya's room!"

When he decided to get up and find her, he felt a strong, sharp pain through his midsection. He hissed a bit before adjusting himself out of bed. "What the hell…? Why does my stomach feel it's been skewered?" he thought aloud. Despite the pain, he managed to get out of bed. After exiting the room and headed down, he saw Merry, who had a bandage on his left temple.

"Merry…?"

The butler stopped fixing up the place and turned to Usopp. "Ah, Usopp-san. How are you feeling?"

Usopp rubbed the side of his head. "Uh…Fine I guess. How long was I out for?"

"For quite some time young man; Kaya-ojousama was extremely worried about your condition, she wouldn't stop fretting or coming over to you with medicine."

Usopp was stunned a bit. "Kaya… she took care of me…?" he snapped out of it. "Where is she now?"

"She's with those friends of yours at the South Beach… I honestly can't believe they're pirates and yet they protected this village with you alongside them."

'_Luffy and the others.'_ thought Usopp. Before he made his way out of the mansion, Merry halted him.

"Usopp-san… I heard how you protected Kaya-ojousama from Kuro."

Events from 3 days ago flooded Usopp's memory; the battle to save his village, putting himself in front of Kuro's attack, dying, and waking up the next punching Kuro's lights out.

'_Souka… I remember now… Kaya must be worried sick… I've gotta find her.'_

With Merry's gratitude, Usopp quickly ran out of the mansion, though he only ran at half-speed due to his inuries.

In no time he found his usual spot. The Straw-hat crew, Kaya, and the Usopp Pirates were there chatting amongst themselves, until Usopp made himself known, while putting on his best grin.

"*Ahem*, hey guys what's up?"

Kaya was the first one to greet him with an embrace. "Usopp-kun! You're awake!" she sounded happy. That was good; making Kaya happy was what Usopp was good at.

The sniper laughed a bit. "Hey Kaya! You're looking better."

"Yes." she nodded. "Apparently I worried so much, I fell ill. But I'm feeling better now."

Usopp turned to the Straw-hats; Luffy was the first one to congratulate him, Zoro and Hawkins gave their nod of approval and Nami smiled. The Usopp pirates ran up to him, apologizing for doubting him. Afterwards the rest of the gang left, leaving Usopp and Kaya alone.

Usopp stood at his usual thinking spot. "Well, the village is safe once again, thanks to Captain…!" he turned around to face the heiress only to see her tears fall down her saddened face.

"Usopp…" he finished his boast with less enthusiasm. "Kaya, what's wrong?" he asked concernedly. She took him by surprise when full-on glomped him and sobbed into his shirt.

"Kaya, please tell me what's wrong… It pains me to see you this way…" he spoke sadly. Kaya sniffed and tilted her head up to meet his face.

"U-Usopp-kun…" the tears started to pour out more. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I didn't believe you, and that I slapped you…" she spoke between hiccupping sobs.

"Kaya…"

"If I had only believed you… you… wouldn't have…." she broke down completely, remembering the attack meant for him, and how he died in her arms.

"Kaya…" Usopp tried to get a word in.

"And now you hate me!"

"Hey, hey…" he wrapped his arms in a comforting hug and let her cry. "Shh, shh, Kaya, shh…"

After a few minutes, she managed to calm down a bit, so he could finally talk. "Kaya, I'll admit, when you slapped me and told me to never come see you again, it hurt me deeply…"

That just made Kaya whimper and cry a little harder, only for Usopp to pull her closer to him and he continued. "But I realized it was my own damn fault for saying all those lies. So I took it upon myself to make sure you, Merry, the Usopp Pirates and all of the villagers were safe and sound. I chose to give my life protecting my home and the people I care about. I was scared out of my mind, but I thought of not just the safety of this village but I thought about protecting you…" he finished sincerely.

Once Kaya stopped crying, she peered at a smiling Usopp, and then she kissed him, taking him by complete surprise. Usopp relaxed into it and kissed her back.

They pulled apart a moment after, and Usopp had a lazy grin, and Kaya smiled warmly. They stood next to each other enjoying the view of the sea before them.

"Kaya… I've decided to follow my dream to become an adventurer!"

Kaya blinked a few times before smiling in return. "Hai… And I'll be waiting for you here… when you come back, Usopp-kun."

* * *

"You made sure you weren't seen..?" asked Merry.

"Yeah…" replied Luffy. "Dad wanted me to get in contact with you as soon as possible."

"I never would have known Dragon-sama had a son."

"Yeah… but don't go mentioning that around… it's a secret that I'm covert agent for Revolutionary Army."

"Of course. Now you said that you needed a ship… well I'd be honored to give you my masterpiece."

* * *

(Later at the shores of the South Beach)

Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Hawkins were looking at their new ship presented by Kaya and Merry. It was caravel-class, passenger ship armed with a few standard-issue cannons, had a few double-sails, and a sheep figurehead.

Luffy had stars in his eyes. "SUGEI! This is gonna be our new ship!"

Zoro smirked. "It'll do..."

Nami smiled a bit. "It's kind of cute."

As usual, Hawkins had no opinion.

Merry presented his creation. "I christened it the Going Merry… May you take this ship as far as your journey takes you."

Suddenly a huge green-like backpack was rolling down the steep slope at an alarming rate, only to be stopped by Zoro and Hawkins by kicking the carrier, Usopp, in the face.

"Usopp-kun!" Kaya cried worriedly, but the sniper waved it off.

Once he saw the ship, he immediately set up his own life-boat.

"Well I guess this is where we part ways, though I hope to meet you guys out at sea."

Luffy stared blankly at the sniper. Then Zoro interjected. "Shut up and get on the ship."

Nami laughed a bit. "So are you coming or what?"

Then it was Luffy's turn. "You're already one of us now, so let's go."

Usopp just looked at them stunned before he grinned widely and joined them. Luffy called out Ryoku, nearly scaring Merry shitless.

Before they departed, Kaya called out to her beloved. "Usopp-kun! I know you'll be back, I believe in you!"

Usopp ran to the railing of the ship grinning like an idiot. "I will Kaya-chan! And when I do, I'll come back a strong adventurer with stories of my travels!"

As they came out of view, Nami decided to tease the sniper. "Kaya-_chan_…?" Usopp flushed in embarrassment and was about to say something in his defense, when Luffy patted his back roughly, all the while laughing uproariously. The captain jumped on the figurehead and perched down on it.

"Okay guys… Onward to the Grand Line!"

* * *

Chapter 9 complete.


	10. Battle at Baratie

**One Piece: My Version**

The Battle at Baratie.

* * *

Two weeks have passed since the Strawhats had left Syrup Village. Luffy grinned to himself as he was currently sitting atop of the Going Merry's figurehead. The day after they departed, Luffy made it his responsibility to train his crew into understanding and training with Haki.

When he began the lesson, he needed to unleash a wave of Haki upon his crew in order to test their mettle. Once he let out a miniscule wave, his navigator immediately passed out, leaving Usopp, Zoro, and Hawkins. The sniper was still conscious but fell to one knee for support as he was breathing heavily. Zoro fared much better as he only broke a couple beads of sweat, but Luffy noticed how completely focused Zoro was, which meant that he was merely keeping himself up through sheer willpower. Hawkins was the only one of them remaining as cool as a cucumber.

Seeing this Luffy decided to add another small dosage, and the results were different now; Usopp was on all fours and on the verge of blacking out. Zoro was still standing but was now breathing heavily and his focus faltering. Hawkins was still undisturbed from his focus, but his breathing was a tad quicker and sweat poured down profusely.

After seeing the results, Luffy powered down. Once Nami woke up moments later, she belted the idiot captain over the head.

"What the hell was that? I could barely breathe before I passed out!" screeched Nami, her fangs clearly showing.

"That…" Luffy addressed the crew. "-was Haki… It's corporeal manifestation of a person's ambition that can be used as a weapon… Or in other words, your fighting with your spirit, literally." he explained. "Haki can be used in categorized in two forms that everyone can use: _Kenbunshoku Haki(Observation Ambition)_ and _Busoshoku Haki(Armored Ambition)_. Now the third is the _Haoshoku Haki(King's Disposition)_, which is a high-level form of Haki that only one in million people are born with. There are two reasons why it's so rare to people; One is because the power of the Haoshoku is granted to those born with an ambition with no doubt in their soul. And the second reason is that it cannot be controlled through hard training alone, it can only get stronger and more controlled depending on the user's personal growth."

Nami blinked a few times at the captain's explanation, her feminine fury gone and a look of astonishment replaced it.

"One thing I noticed about your skills is that you're able to predict the weather, right?" Nami nodded numbly. "Well with enough training, you'll be able to use Kenbunshoku Haki to predict your enemy's attacks and dodge them with ease." he told her.

Nami was amazed at this new, helpful input that could help her when in a bind. She was never one for physical combat, so she made up for it with by being clever and tactful. If what Luffy said was true, this could aid her greatly.

Then Luffy turned to Zoro and Usopp next. "Zoro, you have an extreme pain threshold and superhuman strength, probably from pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion in your swordsmanship training. However when we fought that pirate-butler, you didn't stand a chance against his level of speed." Zoro grimaced, recalling at how he was easily disabled from Kuro's assault. But Luffy reassured him. "Don't worry; I sensed a flicker of both categories of Haki coming out when you fought those other two cat-pirates. But in order to completely tap into your Haki, you need to face something that will test how strong your ambition is."

The captain shifted his head to the sniper and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Usopp, among the rest you stand out the most because you've unleashed the Haoshoku Haki. However, you're still new to it so it'll tend to be spontaneous until you can learn how to control it in the future."

Finally it was Hawkins' turn to find if he was strong or not. "Hawkins, I have to say I'm impressed that you can withstand a small dosage of my Haki. You must have gone through some kind of training, right?" he inquired.

The mystic nodded before replying. "My people have heard strong rumors of Haki and its amazing properties within the human spirit. The elders tried to understand how it might have been possible to harness that technique, but all they could do was grasp at it. Instead they went for the next best thing and performed a series of tests on acolytes to test their discipline in mind body and spirit. I am a result of that training, and why I became one of the strongest seers in my homeland."

When Hawkins finished his tale, Luffy stared with a blank expression until his grin came back and turned his attention to the whole crew.

"Well I have an idea on how to make this work. And since I have _four_ crewmembers, I'll set you up in pairs."

For a few moments Luffy thought about who should partner up with whom, until it came to him perfectly.

"Usopp, you'll begin your physical endurance with Zoro as well as close-combat."

Usopp nodded. Normally he would flat-out reject at working with the vicious ex-pirate hunter, but now he seemed a lot more confident in himself and was willing to do whatever it took to realize his dream.

"Nami, you'll partner up with Hawkins, as he's going to use his powers to help you gather Haki around you to predict oncoming attacks from unexpected places and dodge them."

The navigator paled. She was really starting to regret joining up with these pirates; granted they were certainly different from the usual stereotypical lot, but now she was worried about how the training would kill her.

So two weeks since then, the crew had grown significantly stronger; Usopp was quick learner in how to fight hand-to-hand combat, courtesy of Zoro teaching him how to keep an eye on the opponent and adapting to defending and counter-attacking. Luffy took the liberty of teaching him a couple of moves Dragon taught him. Zoro also taught the sniper one-sword techniques. After a few days of his training, the marksman's Haki began to manifest itself while practicing his sniping skills.

Zoro began to mimic Hawkins' habit of meditating, thinking it would be a good practice for a swordsman's discipline. Surprisingly it worked…By clearing his mind, Zoro was able to focus more on his ambition, desperately trying to dig deep and force out his own Haki, but all he could grasp were wisps or simultaneous sparks.

Nami had come along in her training as well. With help from Hawkins' meditation, she soon was able to use even the slightest flicker of Haki to mold the air around her. Then came the grueling part of her training: Hawkins coming at her with his sword and using his Levitating abilities to hurl small, dense objects jetting towards her...all while being blindfolded. But thanks to the results of her training, she could read an opponent's movements like a book which was perfect to spot openings and be able to use Haki as a defense mechanism to deflect strong or heavy attacks to an extent of her own physical strength.

Hawkins was more in tuned to his own Haki than any of the three, due to the trials of becoming a mystic. However, he began to notice that his premonitions became clearer, and that he could now _hear_ people's emotions not just read them. If anything, this training would help him achieve the first step in achieving his dream in becoming a true mystic.

Luffy was pleased at how things were going; in no time at all he had already assembled and developed a small, elite crew. He became incredibly happy with the ship that was given to them as well. Being his usual childlike-self, he explored every part of the ship, including the cannons. Like a child playing with scissors decided to do some target practice. Lucky for him, he saw a large formation of rocks and fired… missing the target completely. Usopp tried this and showed the captain how to fire. Using a bit of Haki, the rock formation was destroyed in a single shot.

Later, when the crew was taking a lunch-break from training, they heard a loud, gruff voice call their attention.

"You bastard-pirates! Come out here and face me!"

Luffy decided to check to see who was up on the ship. Once he made it on deck, the crew followed after him. There in front of them was a man in his twenties wearing sunglasses wielding a sword with a considerable width. He looked pretty pissed.

"How dare you try and kill my bro! You filthy pirates are gonna pay!"

Zoro's eyes widened as he recognized the guy. "Johnny..? Is that you?"

Johnny tore his angry glare from the captain and faced Zoro. His anger disappeared when he saw Zoro. Then a grin came up to his face.

"Bro!" Johnny jumped for joy.

After revealing himself to be a bounty hunter, he told Zoro that his partner Yosaku was in trouble and had succumbed to the scurvy illness. Thankfully, Nami managed to cure him by feeding him limes and Ryoku kept him in the shade with his giant head. However, the situation made Luffy realize that the crew desperately needed a chef to cook nutritious food.

The bounty hunters were overjoyed that they had found their 'Aniki' and that the pirate crew helped them out. Johnny and Yosaku asked if there was anything that they could do to repay them. Usopp asked if they knew where they could find a cook. Johnny told them of a floating restaurant in further down called Baratie.

Luffy grinned. "ALRIGHT! FOOD! FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

Eventually they reached the floating restaurant, which was a fairly large ship that took on an oval shape, with the figurehead of a fish.

Ryoku sank back down to the depths, albeit begrudgingly due to the tasteful aroma he inhaled through his snout. But his master promised him a large amount of food for him.

* * *

(Baratie- living quarters)

A lone, figure of a young man sat on the edge of his bed in silence, smoking a cigarette; his expression was neutral. He looked 19 years old with small fuzz on his chin and blonde hair covering his left eye, leaving the other curly-browed, dark-ringed, dark blue eye exposed. He wore a sharp, black suit and underneath, a black tie accompanying a pinstripe, blue-sleeved shirt. In his right hand he held an old photo of family of three; A brown haired man with light-green eyes and similar curly eyebrows wearing a chef apparel with an arm around a beautiful, blonde-haired woman carrying an adorable, little 3-year-old staring at the camera with innocence and curious eyes.

"Oi, Sanji!" called a gruff, old voice. "We need some help down here… get your ass in gear."

Upon hearing the head chef's command, he tucked away the photo in his shoulder pocket and left his room.

Upon meeting his mentor, an old chef with an incredible, double-braided mustache; his expression was one of seriousness.

"We've got a couple of rabble-rousers in table 3. Just take their orders and deliver them!"

Sanji nodded numbly. "Aa… yes Head Chef Zeff…"

Zeff let out an irritated groan. "And for God sakes boy, smile…Smile!"

Sanji pulled of his mask of false happiness, which required a one-eye smile and a small smile of his own.

Making his way to table 3, he noticed the people attracting a lot of attention from the upper class people. One was wearing a straw-hat and making ridiculous faces, causing laughter upon three of his crewmates. The one not laughing looked like some kind of heavy-metal rock star. (Seriously, I checked the references on which Hawkins' character was based on and it turned out to be a rock star) The other two were both a long-nosed teen and a green-haired swordsman. Lastly what caught his eye was the laughing redhead woman.

Putting on his mask, he approached them.

"Hello, welcome to the Baratie, my name is Sanji and I'll be taking care of your orders."

Once Strawhats gave their orders, the merriment resumed, but Hawkins' eyes followed the cook.

"What's up Hawkins…?" asked Nami.

Turning to the navigator he gave his input. "That man has a swirling vortex of hatred and anger seething behind his mask…. I've never felt so much darkness in one person without having a negative effect on their health."

Nami took a glance at the returning cook with the same smile plastered on his face.

'_His smile does seem really unrealistic…'_ she pondered before Sanji placed her order in front of her, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Your order miss…" he stated politely before bowing and taking his leave. Once the crew sampled the food, their taste buds went to heaven.

"Man this food's delicious!" said Usopp. The others voiced their approval and Luffy kept consuming the food until he swallowed what was in his swollen cheeks in one gulp. With a satisfied belch, disgusting the fancy diners around the crew, Luffy had made his decision.

"That guy is joining our crew!"

Suddenly the doors were flung open. Everyone turned to see the new arrival. He was thin, almost unhealthily so and there were bags under his eyes. He wore a jacket with a serpent design over a dark green shirt and pants, all of them dirty and tattered. Judging by his grim expression, he looked like he had been through the inferno and emerged out the other end. In one hand, he held a pistol.

There a few uneasy whispers were heard from the wealthy patrons concerning the half-dead man carrying a firearm. They saw the man sit himself down in an empty table, placing the gun on top. "I don't care if it's rotten; Give me something to eat!" the man rasped.

One of the lower-ranking chefs, a buzz-cut man with swollen arms welcomed him like an honored guest until he asked for the manner of payment, to which the man responded with a gun pointed between the cook's eyes. The greeting smile went away and turned into a vicious look, which meant only to kick the guy's ass, which he did, right before throwing him out. The patrons cheered gratefully, while Zeff looked on and shook his head in disappointment.

"Damnit Patty, always a slow learner…." he muttered. Then he noticed that Sanji was nowhere to be found and neither was Luffy.

Said cook was found giving the weary man a plate of food. The delicious aroma was enticing to the starved man, but sneered in disgust at the gesture. "I don't need your pity! I still have my pride as a man and pirate!"

Luffy was watching on the scene with interest as Sanji kept insisting while keeping a calm expression and smoking his cigarette. The man's will broke as he immediately stuffed his face with as much of the food as possible, tears running down his face. "This is delicious! The best food I've ever tasted!" he spoke with a mouth full of food, trying to hide his tears.

The pirate captain plopped down and stood next to the chef.

"You're a pretty nice guy, Sanji…" he said. The cook didn't acknowledge him; instead he just exhaled another puff of smoke.

"How come you don't smile…?" Luffy asked curiously.

Sanji merely replied. "That's none of your business."

Luffy paused for a moment before speaking. "Wanna join my crew…?"

"No…"

"Aww, why not?" he whined.

"I have no reason to join a pirate crew."

The starving man turned to Luffy. "You're a pirate…?"

Luffy nodded.

"Where are you heading off to?"

"The Grand Line…" Luffy said as if it was no big deal. The man was beginning to quake in terror.

"That place is… the Devil's Galley! You can't imagine the horrors in that ocean…!" he shuddered. Luffy just stared, clearly not listening to what the man said. Once the man got his strength back from the food, he looked a lot less weary and 'borrowed' one of the lifeboats and made his way to depart.

"My name is Gin and I thank you for the food." he said before sailing off.

Zeff watched on in reclusive pride at his apprentice for following his credo of giving good food to those who need it no matter what.

Sanji headed back to the pirate table and directed his attention to Nami, all while putting up his 'smile'. "I'm terribly sorry for the disruption miss, as token of my humblest apologies; please accept this complementary meal."

Nami decided to put on her charms since Luffy decided for this man to be in the crew. "Oh, why thank you!" She reached up to cup his chin, part of her usual act towards men. However she surprised to see no reaction coming from the cook just that simple, yet unsettling smile and to her shock she noticed his skin was cold as ice.

But upon mere contact, the navigator felt her head feel a bit lightheaded as she felt her cheeks heat up and her heart racing faster. _'Oh god, I feel hot… what's this effect he has on me?'_

* * *

(A few days later)

Luffy pointed out to Zeff that he would not leave until Sanji agreed to join the crew, much to the chagrin of said chef when Zeff replied, "Sure, why not…? Take him off my hands. You're welcome to stay, so long as you pay for the food."

Nami "stressed" her captain not to spend more than 50 Beli, making Luffy suffer a little bit of what Usopp described as 'Appetite-Withdrawal Syndrome'. Speaking of which, Ryoku was given a share of his master's food.

One day, while Nami stayed on the ship with Johnny and Yosaku, a mysterious fog came in and enveloped the area. Luffy and the rest of the crew were in the Baratie, until the strawhat captain took note of the fog and stared into it, his expression was unreadable. Hawkins pulled out three cards from his sleeve and proclaimed his new prediction.

"The wounded and abused dog will find his true purpose as his master falls…. A man with hate in his heart will seek revenge… the three-sword wielding demon will fall against the master swordsman but gain a great power in return… and the thief's nightmare will come to an end today after a decade of servitude…" he finished.

Usopp stared oddly at the mystic. "That's more than what you told me a few weeks ago…" he pointed out.

Suddenly, a large, war-torn galleon appeared out of the fog. The ship itself, added with the wear and tear, was frightening to say the least. One of the chefs came running in screaming, "It's Pirate Don Krieg! He's here! Everybody run for your lives!" the rest of the staff was near the point of pissing themselves, and the rest of the guests stampeded out of the restaurant and onto their boats, getting away from an imminent pirate attack.

Within the kitchen, another chef by the name of Carne was cursing at Patty for insulting one of Don Krieg's pirates, and that he was now coming for revenge.

As soon as they mentioned his name, said pirate walked in, or rather trudged in with Gin supporting him from the side. He looked to be roughly about Hawkins' height, grayish-purple hair, bandages over his forehead and long jacket over a beach shirt. He looked just as terrible as Gin was when he entered.

"Please… Give me food… I have money… I can pay… just please give something to eat…." the large man begged.

Patty and Carne flat-out refused, until they saw Sanji enter with a plate full of fried rice and placed it near the fatigue pirate captain. As Krieg ate the food in front of him ravenously, he immediately felt the nourishment replenish him within minutes. With a triumphant roar, and his strength returned, he punched Sanji square in the face. Gin looked at Krieg in aghast; he never expected his captain to repay the man who graciously fed him so ungratefully.

Krieg stood up on his own two feet this time feeling better than ever. "Now that was a meal! But…" he pointed his thumb to his ship. "I have about a hundred of my men starving to death on my ship. Give me more food, and then I'll give you all one chance to abandon your ship before we take it over…"

"But Don, you promised…" protested Gin but noticed Zeff walking into the kitchen, preparing meals for a hundred.

Patty on the other hand would not have it and pulled out large, overhead cannon and fired it at the pirate. An explosion occurred. The cook thought he had made a direct hit, only to see Krieg still standing, this time wearing golden-steel, battle armor he had concealed all this time.

Luffy watched on with the usual blank expression, but the entire staff looked like they were about to have heart attacks, collectively. Zeff came back carrying a large bag of what could be food and tossed it in front of Krieg.

"There's your food for a hundred; take it and feed your crew." the chef told the pirate.

As Krieg picked up the sack, his lazy eyes narrowed at the head chef. Then it hit him. "You… You're 'Red Leg' Zeff, aren't you…? The ex-pirate who sailed further into the Grand Line." The large man smirked as he eyed Zeff's peg-leg. "But it looks like the sea has already claimed another victim."

Sanji casted him a dark glare, while Luffy looked annoyed; just because Zeff lost a leg was _**not**_ the reason for his retirement.

"I heard that you carry a logbook of your journey through the Grand Line." inquired Krieg.

Zeff scowled at him. "I gave up the pirate life and became a chef; and I do have a logbook, but I'm not giving it to you… you're not worthy of it."

Krieg snarled; no one denies him and lives to tell about it! "I want that logbook! It will provide me with the perfect strategy to conquer the Grand Line; I already have the military strength, all I need now is a stronger fleet and I can become the Pirate King!"

Luffy furrowed his brows in displeasure. "Sorry, you're wrong, I'm gonna be the Pirate King!" teen boldly countered. Krieg didn't even bother with a response.

As the heavily-armored pirate turned to leave he stopped in his tracks. "When I return, I'd better expect two things: This ship under my control and the logbook." and Krieg departed… for the moment. Gin remained and humbly apologized to all of them, saying how this was not what he thought would happen.

Sanji stood tall, his face expressionless. "We did our job as chefs; feeding whoever comes through those doors. Of course now we'll focus on defending this ship with our lives and kill anyone who threatens it." the roar of approval came from the rest of the chefs as they prepared for battle with weapons that resembled silverware.

Suddenly, everyone in the restaurant heard a splintering and splitting of lumber. A second later they heard the sound of waves crashing. Usopp, Zoro and Hawkins came down as they felt the ship sway from the turbulence.

"Oi, Luffy! What's going on?" yelled Usopp. But said captain was missing along with everybody else. They were outside, beholding the damage that had been done.

"W-What happened to Don Krieg's ship? It's in pieces!" blurted out one of the chefs. And it was; the large galleon that instilled fear into the people of the East Blue was in tatters.

Krieg was flabbergasted. "How could this have happened?" he said to himself until the sudden realization hit him. "Unless…. _He _followed us here!"

The Strahats and chefs couldn't help but wonder who this person was and who would follow them only to destroy them? They all began to notice Gin shaking like a leaf, his pupils dilated in pure terror.

"It can't be…. Not again… _He's_ here to finish the job… Damn him! Damn those hawk-eyes!" he scrunched his fists.

Zoro's eyes widened considerably at the last part of Gin's outburst. _'Hawk-eyes?'_

Zeff spoke up. "There's no mistaking it, the man you just described, is none other than the greatest swordsman in the world, Dracule 'Hawkeye' Mihawk."

Zoro tensed as his hand reached for Wado. A surge of bloodlust and anxiety coursed through him; he would finally test himself to see where he stood in terms of strength, and the best way to do that was to fight against Mihawk.

Suddenly the doors to the entrance of the restaurant busted open, revealing two, soaked bounty hunters turning out to be Johnny and Yosaku.

"Zoro-aniki, Luffy-aniki, it's horrible! The ship is gone!" they both cried.

"NANII?" the crew, minus Hawkins, yelled out simultaneously.

"H-How did that happen?" questioned Usopp.

They both began to explain how they were tricked by Nami and she pushed them overboard, taking the ship and Ryoku too.

"I knew we couldn't trust her…" Zoro muttered darkly while Usopp was freaking out about how his girlfriend's gift was stolen. Hawkins remained unresponsive until Luffy called him to attention.

"You knew this would happen, didn't you? When you made that prediction earlier…" the captain insinuated. The mystic nodded. He raised both eyebrows surprisingly at his captain as he saw him grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Well then… It's good thing you mentioned this earlier. We should go after her!"

Usopp rounded on Luffy. "How can you be so calm and cheerful about this? Our ship has been stolen!"

"Because she took Ryoku with her, and I've known Ryoku since I was a kid. If it was someone suspicious… he would've eaten them on the spot. But he likes Nami, so that means he trusts her, which means… I trust Nami too…" he stated in finality, his grin never faltering. "She's our nakama after all."

Usopp was stunned speechless by his captain's 'logic'. Zoro planted a hand on the sniper's shoulder. "Don't bother Usopp, if it's one thing I learned about Luffy, is that once he says something that comes out of his big mouth, he means it…" he told the sniper, remembering why Luffy was captain. And so did Usopp.

As they both prepared a raft for Zoro's 'underlings', said swordsman stopped what he was doing. Usopp wondered why he did so until he saw Zoro stare out at the sea. Curiously, he did the same and his eyes widened at what was coming towards them.

There beyond the bits and pieces of debris, was a small, oncoming raft of some sort. But upon closer inspection, it was resembled the shape of a coffin with two green-lit candles on the sides and its center mast resembled a large crucifix. It seemed to have enough room to carry only one person and said person was a man.

The man wore a cloak of black on the outside, while the inside was red which the sleeves over his bare chest and plain-colored pants. The top half of his face was covered by a wide-brimmed hat with a large plume, until he raised his hat revealing piercing, golden eyes resembling the natural predator of a hawk. His expression was both calm and serious at the same time.

One of the Don Krieg pirates called out to him about why he came after them. He simply replied, "For fun…"

That response caused the low-life to pull out his pistol and fire at him. Mihawk only lifted an arm and unsheathed a large, curved, black sword ranging 6 feet in length. The hilt resembled much like the mast. With just a simple movement in his wrist, the sword deflected the oncoming bullet.

Everyone was amazed at the skill the swordsman had by wielding such a heavy-looking blade like it was a letter-opener.

Zoro narrowed his eyes at the master swordsman. "That's his sword, _Kokutou Yoru (The Black Blade Night)_, the galleon-cutter." He muttered to himself. _'I never thought I'd be able to meet him so soon…But now… The time has come…'_

"That's Mihawk alright..." Zeff pointed out.

The rest of the chefs, and pirates saw Zoro jump ship and landed on a larger piece of debris from the ship, choosing this to be the battleground. Now he had to grab Mihawk's attention.

"I've never seen such graceful skill with a sword that size." said Zoro.

Mihawk shifted his gaze to the young santoryu user, giving him a bored look.

"A sword with power alone is not powerful." he replied.

Zoro turned his head to see more of the torn ship pieces. "I take it you used that sword to cut apart that ship, right?"

"Of course."

Zoro's devilish grin grew. "It's clear to me… You're the strongest!"

Mihawk said nothing. Zoro began to undo the bandana on his arm. "I've been sailing the seas to face you."

Mihawk tilted his head. "What is your ambition…?"

Zoro finished tying his bandana over his head. "To be the best!" he replied determinedly. The master swordsman smirked.

"Fool."

Zoro unsheathed his swords. "You've got time to spare, don't you?" he challenged. "So let's duel!"

The Don Krieg Pirates were as pale as sheets when they recognized Zoro as the infamous pirate hunter.

Mihawk's smirk faded. "Duel..? Hmph… pitiful weakling." And in an instant, he was out of his boat and onto the platform.

Zoro was a bit intimidated, but his resolve didn't faulter. _'He's fast! I couldn't see his movements at all… I better not hold anything back!'_ he thought before Mihawk continued to speak.

"If you were really a decent swordsman, you should have been able to judge the differences in strength without drawing your sword. By challenging me, are you acting on bravery or simple recklessness?"

"This is for my own ambition!" Zoro spoke fiercely before placing Wado between his teeth. "And to fulfill a friend's promise!"

Johnny and Yosaku tried to interfere to save their bro from getting killed, but Luffy held them back, saying that this was his dream, and no one should get in the way!

Mihawk tugged on his cross-necklace. To Zoro's surprise, it was a hidden dagger.

"What the hell are you doing?" spoke the irritated swordsman.

"I'm not like those idiots who use their all in a rabbit hunt. Though you're renowned enough to be called a swordsman, the East Blue is the weakest of the four oceans. I apologize if I don't have anything smaller than this."

With a snarl Zoro clenched his swords and charged like a raging bull seeing red. "Don't make fun of me! And don't regret it when you die!" he ran at Mihawk, prepared to give it his all. Mihawk took a stance. "You're just a greenhorn who's yet to experience the real world."

"**Oni-Giri!"** Zoro attacked with his patented signature technique. A loud sound of blades clashing together resonated. All eyes saw that Mihawk had stopped the attack dead in its tracks with an outstretched arm. Zoro's expression was one of shock. Sweat poured down his chin. _'How did he manage to stop all three swords with just that toy? Is this how far I am from him?'_

He shook off his stupor and with a war-cry began his barrage of attacks. Mihawk defended with his knife, not moving from his spot. Zoro decided to kick it up a notch and began to focus all of his Haki in his attacks and saw a slight change in Mihawk's defense. Just as Zoro attack with a single strike from Wado, Mihawk clashed his knife at the same time, resulting in a small shockwave of power around the two swordsmen. However, both swordsmen realized that the outcome of the attack caused Mihawk's arm to bend slightly and his hand clutch his dagger in a tighter grip. Behind his calm expression, Mihawk was actually surprised and impressed. _'Someone like him already knows how to use Haki?'_

After 15 minutes of non-stop slashing, Zoro was beginning to run out of steam. He began to breathe heavily but his focus stayed on Mihawk; he wasn't going to quit until he was dead.

"Why would you risk your life for a goal that will probably kill you along the way?" asked Mihawk.

Zoro didn't answer; instead he channeled Haki into his blades and prepared to attack again.

"**Tora Gari!"**

His attack never reached through as Mihawk had plunged his dagger into Zoro's chest. Despite this, Mihawk's precision was…off.

'_I know my attack was supposed to go through his heart, but instead he managed to avoid my attack at the last second and it went through one of his ribs. Looks he managed to see me attack at the last minute. His Haki is strong.'_

He began to notice Zoro still standing with the blade still locked in.

"Why don't you step back?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure why, but I figured that if I take one step back, then all the promises and oaths I've made would be meaningless and I'd never be able to return and face you ever again!" blood began to trickle out of Zoro's mouth.

Mihawk narrowed his eyes. "Yes, and that's called 'losing'."

"That's why I can't step back!" Zoro replied indignantly.

Mihawk paused for a moment before speaking. "Even if it means death?"

"Death would be better!"

Mihawk's eyes widened a bit at Zoro's resolve. _'Such willpower; preferring death over defeat… and he already practices how to harness both types of Haki. If he were to actually go to the Grand Line and learn about the world… he could very well surpass me.'_

He retracted the dagger from Zoro's chest. "Boy, what's your name?"

Using his two swords, Zoro placed them at an angle against each other. "Roronoa Zoro!"

"I'll remember that!" Mihawk put away his dagger and unsheathed his black sword. "It's been a while since I've met someone with a strong will. As a reward, I shall wield this sword and end your life with it!"

"I appreciate your offer."

This was it, the test to see if Zoro would become the world's greatest swordsman or just another piece of fodder for the black blade. The two were the symbols of nature's greatest predators, the deadly hawk and the ferocious tiger, facing off against each other.

Johnny and Yosaku were held back by Usopp for two reasons: to prevent them from interfering and he noticed Luffy had a death-grip on his scimitar.

The swordsmen prepared their final strike. Zoro began to spin his blades in a rotating motion while Mihawk leapt at him, preparing to strike. Zoro poured every ounce of his being and Haki into his blades.

"**Santoryu Ougi-"** **(Three-sword style Secret Technique)**

The rotating blades were now blurs as they kept spinning.

"**Sanzen Sekai!" (Three-Thousand Worlds)**

And then both sides clashed in an instant. Mihawk was now behind Zoro. The green-haired swordsman retained his stance. An anticipating silence was in the air as everyone watched and awaited the outcome. Suddenly, the swords Zoro wielded in his hands broke in several pieces as numerous cuts appeared across his torso at the same time. It appeared that Mihawk had no wound on him, but little did they know, the impact from the attack left a small cut on his cheek and a large piece of his plume came off.

'_Finally a swordsman worthy enough to battle!'_

Zoro calmly sheathed Wado, the only sword not damaged, before turning to face Mihawk with arms outstretched.

"What are you doing?" asked Mihawk.

"A scar on the back is a disgrace to a swordsman." Zoro spoke with no hesitation in his voice.

Mihawk grinned. "Well said." he responded before bringing his sword down diagonally across Zoro's torso. The blow sent him flying back and into the water.

"ZORO!" came the collective cry of the Usopp, Luffy, Johnny and Yosaku. Said bounty hunters dove into the water and swam as fast as they could to reach their 'Aniki'. Luffy on the other hand unsheathed his scimitar and in an unseen blur he came crashing down on Mihawk like a meteorite.

Needless to say, Mihawk was the most surprised when he felt an immense killing intent and Haki coming from the boy with the straw hat. He quickly retaliated with a block from his sword that resulted a shockwave 10x's bigger than when Zoro clashed swords with him, which caused most of the chefs and enemy pirates around them to collapse and fall unconscious under wrathful fury of Luffy. The piece of ship they were standing on cracked in various places.

'_This boy is far stronger than his comrade! And he is far more adept with his Haki; I believe he has the Haoshoku Haki. I'm amazed at how well he can control it! And he's reacting so fiercely because of his fallen crewmate!'_

He had just encountered a swordsman with potential and Haki, and now this boy with a straw-hat proved to be more of a challenge.

Luffy began the attack by relentlessly slashing all while defending Mihawk's attacks as well as tracking his movements. The loud clang of a large sword clashing with a scimitar was heard by everyone. Their moves were barely seen by anyone except for Zeff and Sanji.

With another large clash, the two sent out another shockwave this time Sanji started to sweat a bit. _'What is that power?'_ he thought.

With a final clash, the two grinded their blades against each other to test who would falter in step and would take that opening.

Mihawk noticed how angry Luffy's expression was. Both sides rebounded. They both stayed frozen in their relative stances, until Mihawk sheathed his sword.

"There's no room for doubt in my mind; indeed you are powerful boy. Tell me, what's your ambition?"

"To be the Pirate King!" Luffy exclaimed.

Mihawk smirked. "That road is a far more dangerous than trying to surpass me."

Luffy sheathed his scimitar and his anger ebbed away a bit.

"And don't worry about your crewmate, he's alive." he gestured by pointing to a life-boat with Johnny and Yosaku in it, pulling Zoro out of the water; his wound apparent. It would definitely leave a large scar.

Hawkins spoke up. "Luffy, he's telling the truth; I do not see the Shadow of Death looming over Zoro."

Said swordsman was indeed alive but in an immense amount of pain. Lifting up Wado, unashamed tears washed over his face.

"Luffy… I joined this crew in hopes to follow my dream to become the world's greatest swordsman! After experiencing defeat at the hands of Mihawk, I promise- no… I _**vow**_ never to lose another battle again! Ya hear that Mihawk? I'm coming for you! I will take that title from you! I WILL BECOME THE WORLD'S GREATEST SWORDSMAN!" Zoro roared. His Haki was starting to come out in strong pulsations. Luffy, Usopp, Mihawk, Hawkins, Zeff and Sanji began to notice it while onlookers merely stared at amazement at the swordsmans tenacity.

"IS THAT A PROBLEM? SOON-TO-BE-PIRATE KING LUFFY?" Zoro's voice echoed in decent, strong flash of Haki. The waves surrounding the life boat, stilled for a second. It wasn't the Haoshoku as Johnny and Yosaku seemed to be unaffected by their Bro's power; in fact it served to inspire them as they also shed tears of pride.

Luffy's anger was replaced by his usual, large, pearly-white grin. Zoro would get even stronger now that his Haki had gotten stronger.

Mihawk smirked in satisfaction; he would have to be prepared to do battle again with the swordsman. "My name is Dracule Mihawk! It's too soon for your death! So get stronger, learn from yourself and the world!" yelled the master swordsman. "Get stronger to surpass my sword! To surpass me! Roronoa Zoro!"

He turned his attention to Luffy. "And you are a good captain for caring for the wellbeing of your nakama. You have my respect, and I hope to meet you all in the Grand Line."

Zeff mutters something to himself that only his apprentice could hear. "For Hawk-eye to actually give his respect to these rookies, this crew will definitely go far in the world."

Gin was conflicted. He had always thought that Krieg was a powerful pirate and that serving under him was a great honor. But now he had just witnessed a small-time pirate captain starting out in the East Blue take on the master swordsman himself and met his skills in an even match. What's more, he was surprised at how the captain reacted to his wounded crewmate. Gin was in the presence of a true pirate.

Luffy turned to Mihawk, his glare returning. Mihawk eyed the younger pirate and then noticed the straw hat.

"You are the one Shanks spoke of; the boy wearing his straw hat…" he pointed out.

Luffy's glare was replaced by a look of surprise. "You know Shanks?"

Mihawk nodded. "Indeed. He spoke fondly of you and how you saved his life."

Luffy was grinning ear-to-ear when he heard how Shanks was mentioning him. "Really?" but before he could ask more, a certain idiotic, military pirate interjected.

"Oi, Hawk-eye! You came here to try and kill me right? Well here I am!" yelled Krieg.

Luffy's demeanor changed to a blank expression. "Would you excuse me for one moment, Mihawk?"

The master swordsman shrugged and Luffy vanished in an instant. Krieg looked completely dumbfounded turning his head from left to right to find the boy, only to see him squatting on top the Baratie's railing. It seemed like he was speaking to Sanji.

He turned to the sniper who was partially shell-shocked over the whole fight. "Usopp! Go with Zoro and Johnny and find Nami!" Usopp snapped out of his stupor and jumped into the small boat, quickly sailing off while tending to Zoro's wounds as best as they could. Now it was just Yosaku, Hawkins and Luffy. The pirate captain shifted his attention to the blonde chef.

"Hey Sanji! How about making a bet? If I beat that Krieg guy in less than 10 seconds, you join my crew!" demanded Luffy.

Sanji raised his uncovered eyebrow at Luffy's wager. "And if you fail…?"

Luffy smiled cheekily. "I won't." and he disappeared again only to reappear right in front of Krieg; Needless to say, his wide-eyed, snot-dripping expression was priceless. With one punch he landed his fist on Krieg's chest-plate. At first nothing happened, but then 5 seconds later a series of cracks were seen throughout the whole armor before breaking into discarded, golden pieces and revealing a fist impression on his torso. Krieg's eyes rolled back as he collapsed on his knees before forfeiting consciousness. Luffy stared blankly at the pathetic excuse of a pirate before turning to Sanji.

"How many seconds?" he asked.

"I can't keep track of time, but I'm pretty sure that was less than 6 seconds." Sanji conceded. Luffy's grin widened.

* * *

(On the Going Merry)

Nami was reminiscing on all the fun times she had when she was with the Strawhat crew; they were all very different than what she had encountered with pirates throughout the years. For them, it wasn't about gold or terrorizing people, it was about fulfilling their dreams. Tears streamed down her the sides of her face as she remembered her adoptive mother.

'_Bellemere…'_ she sniffed a bit. She was taken by surprise when she felt Ryoku nuzzle her gently with his snout and gently licked her tears. The Sea-King let out a concerned groan. Nami laughed tearfully and hugged the sea monster. "Arigato, Ryoku. You're pretty sweet for a Sea-King."

The direction they headed into was the way back to Nami's hometown on Commi Island, Cocoyashi village where she would return to her employer whose name felt like acid on her tongue.

'_Saw-Tooth Arlong'_

* * *

And…Done! Chapter 10 is finished!


	11. Nami's Reason

**One Piece: My Version**

Nami's Reason for Betrayal, Enter Saw-Tooth Arlong!

* * *

Luffy was laid back in a relaxing position in a small kitchen-boat that Zeff let them take to follow their comrades. The dual-devil fruit user had sent Usopp to go with Zoro and Johnny so they could trail Nami ahead of them. In the meantime, Luffy glanced at his new crewmembers, Sanji and the former second-in-command of the Don Krieg Pirates, Gin.

Luffy glanced at the cook while his blank expression was masked over with his hat. While getting him recruited was easy, Zeff explained to him exactly who Sanji was.

_(Flashback)_

"_Straw hat, I'm grateful for what you did for taking care of Krieg." spoke the old ex-pirate, looking bemused._

_Luffy grinned. "Hehe, no problem." _

"_I was surprised when I sensed how strong your Haki was, and how you handled Mihawk all on your own and forced him to use that black sword of his." Zeff noted. Luffy shrugged. "I'm full of surprises." he replied coolly. _

_Zeff's amusement left his wrinkled face and a grim expression was in place. _

"_Well jokes aside, there's something you need to know about lil' eggplant over there before taking him with you." _

_The straw hat wearing pirate looked at the retired pirate curiously. _

"_He hates Marines and the World Government…"_

_Now that struck something odd to Luffy. Of course, pirates hated marines and vice-versa. But wait, he had only recruited Sanji a few minutes ago. The way Zeff was telling Luffy this information, it sounded like his apprentice chef loathed marines with a passion. But no… Luffy noted how deathly serious Zeff was, which meant Sanji's depths of hatred for Marines ran far deeper than he knew. He could see something in those old eyes… Was it… Fear or Pity?_

_

* * *

_

_(Flashback End)_

Now as to why Gin came to join up with the Straw Hat Pirates can be answered by Luffy himself as he stated: "I think he's a better pirate than that dumbass Krieg! So he's gonna join us!" he grinned while saying it. While others complained, Hawkins backed him up saying, "He will fulfill the premonition."

Gin had given true loyalty to the man he looked up to as a captain and was proud to serve under him. Of course how Krieg performed today, made him realize that he was a weak and pathetic excuse for a pirate. Gin practically charged at his foes at his master's command, no questions asked. Moreover he discovered at how Luffy reacted to his fallen comrade when he fought on par with Mihawk; he was ready to kill Mihawk just for harming someone from his crew. It was then Gin decided he would serve under this man; a man he believed that he would become the next Pirate King.

Yosaku interrupted Luffy's train of thought. "This is bad guys! We're heading straight into Commi Island, the place where Arlong resides!" he shuddered at the mention of the name.

Luffy of course being his usual ignorant self asked, "Who's Arlong?"

"…" Yosaku looked at him as if the boy grew a second head.

"Are you kidding me? Arlong is a fierce fishman that used to be a part of Jinbei's crew, the Sun Pirates! He despises humans and thinks highly of his own race. Any human that crosses him ends up dead." he would have continued on with his explanation if Luffy had not taken up a sketch pad and attempting to draw a fishman, which turned out to be a poor drawing of a fish with stick arms and legs.

Gin chuckled and shook his head. His captain was definitely uncommon from the average pirate.

Then suddenly, the sound of crashing waves was heard and up rose a Sea-King. For a moment, Luffy thought it could have been Ryoku, but instead it was the most peculiar-looking Sea-King that the group had ever seen; A Sea-King with the appearance of a cow.

"Owooogggghhhh! It's a cow-fish!" Luffy exclaimed. Stars evident in his eye-saucers. The others just stared on blankly at it.

Yosaku was the only one freaking out until Sanji came out with a large plate of cooked food. The chef deduced that the creature was attracted by the smell of food. Being taught the credo of chefs, he offered the food to large cow-beast. Said beast lowered its head and sniffed to examine the food only to be kicked upside the head, courtesy of pirate chef.

Yosaku's jaw dropped to the ground. "What the hell did you do that for?" he shouted.

Sanji stared blankly at the bounty hunter. "It was going to eat me as well." he replied. The cow-beast suddenly came back, anger evident on its face and let out a fierce, roaring moo. Of course the beast's rampage came to a screeching halt when Luffy tilted his head sideways to glare at it with an uncovered eye. Using a tiny bit of Haki, the beast shivered in cold sweat and backed down, acknowledging Luffy as its superior. The captain grinned victoriously before getting an idea; a mischievous glint was seen by the others.

'_What is he planning?'_ they thought.

* * *

(With Usopp, Johnny, and Zoro)

Usopp stood at the helm of the boat, much like a pirate captain would. The sniper felt pride in doing this act of being a captain. Once they came in view of their destination, Johnny and him had to restrain Zoro by tying him to the mast because the swordsman wanted to find Nami so he could kill her himself. Of course, Usopp wouldn't have that, since Luffy still trusts her and Johnny didn't want 'Aniki' to open up his wounds and make them worse than they already are.

After a few minutes, they were closing in on the docks. Once they docked they still left Zoro behind, much to the swordsman's chagrin. "Goddamnit! Get me outta here! I'll kill you guys!"

Usopp waved off his death-threat and paid it no mind as they docked the boat. Before and Usopp and Johnny left, they duct-taped Zoro's mouth so he wouldn't bring any unnecessary and unwanted attention from Arlong and his crew.

However once the two walked into the village nearby Cocoyashi, they were shocked and appalled at the village… or at least what was a village. All the houses had either been turned upside-down or smashed to pieces.

"This must be Gosa Village." said Johnny. "I read in the newspaper that it had been raided by Arlong a few weeks ago.

"But…why are all the buildings flipped over?" asked the sniper. Johnny's answer came with sweat-beads of fear. "I heard that a fishman has 10x's the strength of a normal human being."

When Usopp heard this, normally he'd nearly soil himself. But now, he felt this sudden, overwhelming urge to fight. As the two walked down the ruined village, they noticed that there was no one around.

"I'm guessing that this village was at the top of Arlong's hit list." said Usopp, only to turn and see said bounty hunter run away. "Oi, Johnny! Where are you going?"

Suddenly, Usopp noticed a larger shadow over him. He turned around to see an actual fishman looking down on him.

"Who are you? Are you an intruder? Arlong-sama doesn't take too kindly to newcomers." spoke the fishman.

Now this is where one of Usopp's skills came in; lying.

"Oh, I'm no intruder. I'm the… uhh… pizza guy! You're boss ordered a pizza!"

The fishman flunky looked surprised before apologising. "Oh, souka...? My bad! We don't get a lot of humans coming in, you understand."

Usopp nodded, pretending to agree while glad to see that this fishman wasn't to smart. "Well, I guess I'll be… going now…" and he walked away calmly. The fishman waved him goodbye until he realized something important.

"Hey, wait a minute!" yelled the outraged fishman.

'_Shit!'_ Usopp cursed inwardly as he stopped in his tracks. He turned to face the fishman who eyed him suspiciously.

"If you're the pizza guy, where's our pizzas?" the fishman inquired.

Usopp's lies didn't seem to be effective enough, so then he resorted to using Haki to knock him out in one focused glare. Fortunately, it proved to be effective when he noticed the fishman's eyes roll back and collapsed after that. The sniper felt pride that he had gotten stronger since he joined up with Luffy and the others.

'_Wow! I just knocked out a fishman! And their supposed to be stronger than ordinary humans! Though granted I'm not ordinary and this guy was just a lackey. Still, not many can say they defeated a fishman in a single glance.'_

However, his pride was suddenly cut down when he was kicked in the face by a little kid. The kid wielded a sword a bit bigger than his height, and he appeared to be angry.

"Finally, I got you fishman! I'll make you pay for what you did to my home and my father!" the boy raised his sword and brought it down upon him.

As soon as Usopp recovered, he rolled away to dodge the blade. He got up and waved his hands in front of him, signaling the boy to stop.

"C-Chotto-matte! I'm not a fishman!" Usopp tried to explain.

The little boy halted his attack to see that he wasn't a fishman at all. The boy apologized before another person came up from behind and bonked the boy over the head. Standing over the boy was woman in her late-teen years going into her 20's. She had light-tanned skin, purplish-blue hair and a tattoo on her right arm.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Chabo? Don't pick a fight with the fishmen!" the woman scolded. Her stern gaze shifted to Usopp. She blinked twice then turned back to the boy.

"That's not a fishman." she said to him.

"I just told him that!" Usopp yelled angrily at her. She paid it no mind once she noticed the actual fishman who appeared to be foaming at the mouth.

"What happened to him?" the woman inquired.

Usopp's pride returned. He pumped his chest out like a man, and pointed to himself with his thumb.

"It was none other than, I, Captain Usopp! I taught this fish a thing or two about messing with best!" he exclaimed.

The woman looked horrified before socking the sniper square in the face. The woman hoisted Usopp by his suspenders and shook him violently. "You idiot! You _**never**_ hit a fishman!"

Wasting no time, she grabbed the boy and kept a firm grip on the confused sniper who had only been on the island for only 10 minutes and he was already getting hassled from both fishman and the locals.

Later, the woman led Usopp to a small house located on the edge of Cocoyashi Village. She told the kid to find his mother, leaving them both. She introduced herself as Nojiko, but then he was in for a big surprise when she revealed information related to Nami.

"Ehhh? You're Nami's sister? And this is where you and her grew up?" his eyes popping and his jaw dropping.

"Hai. Nami and I were orphans, so we weren't blood-related. But the woman who owned this house adopted us and raised us like if we were her own children." A brief moment of nostalgia crossed her features before reverting back to her nonchalant attitude. "Of course, she died a long time ago…"

Usopp looked at her in disbelief. "Then why did Nami betray her village to join up with Arlong?" curious at how things ended badly.

Nojiko looked at him bemusedly. "What business do you have with that girl?" she asked.

"She scammed us out of all of our treasure and stole my ship!" he yelled. Nojiko then pointed her thumb to the direction of the window.

"That ship yours?" she inquired. Usopp turned to the window and to his surprise, there indeed was the Going Merry. It could be seen all the way across the mikan plantations.

'_Great, now all I need to do is take the ship and bring it around to meet the others. But first, I need to find Johnny and… Zo…ro…'_

It was then Usopp had just remembered something. "Oh crap!" he cursed out loud.

"What?" asked Nojiko.

"I just remembered that a friend of mine is still at the docks!" Usopp bolted out of the house and ran back to the ruined Gosa Village at top speed.

However, when he got there, both the boat and the swordsman were nowhere to be seen. If he had to guess, Arlong's crew got to him first.

* * *

(Arlong Park)

Zoro was not happy at the moment. First he was hit over the head with a hammer, tied to the mast, and while Usopp and Johnny were gone, he was taken captive by a bunch of sorry-stinking fishmen. Now he was sitting face-to-face with their leader, Arlong.

"I told you, I came looking for a woman, you damned fish freak!" the swordsman glowered at the fishman looking down at him. He was a large, muscular, bluish, saw-shark fishman in a tropical shirt and green bermudas, whose most distinctive trait was his saw-nose complimenting the set of razor-sharp teeth which formed a sinister grin. Wild, long, black hair sprouted from the back of his neck, reaching down to his shoulders. He wore what appeared to be a brown Ushanka, covering his head. The fin on his nape was surrounded by his hair, and the gills were located on both the sides of his neck. Lastly, he bore two red tattoos; one in the shape of the sun on the left side of his chest and one of a sawfish, which matched his Jolly Roger, on his left forearm.

"Hoh…? Such an inferior human dares to speak to me in such a tone? You're lucky I'm in a good mood right now so I'll let that slide. But I'd better not hear you say it again or else you'll wind up as fish food. Got it?" retorted the fishman-pirate, Saw-Tooth Arlong. He went on lecturing the swordsman about how fishmen were the ultimate species and how going against them would be going against God.

Zoro stopped listening when he heard the footsteps of a female, his eyes widened in shock at who the female was.

"N-Nami…" he croaked.

Said navigator peered uninterestingly at the swordsman. "Oh, it's you…"

Arlong shifted his head to Nami. "Oi Nami, you know this guy?"

Nami just shrugged. "He's just a part of that pirate crew I just robbed recently. He's probably back for revenge." she walked up to him and knelt down to face Zoro.

"So…This is the real you?" implied Zoro.

Nami smiled cruelly. "Of course. I was a pirate from the start; I'm part of Arlong's crew. You were just another scam."

Arlong burst out laughing. "Shahahahahaha! I tell ya, this girl maybe human, but she's proven to be the exception in my crew! She's so cold-hearted she didn't even care about the death of her own mother!"

Zoro noticed a flicker of fear and hate cross Nami's features at Arlong's description. _'I see… she's really in more trouble than she lets on.'_ Knowing this, he thought of an idea that would test to see if she really was who she said she was.

"Ah, is that so? Truth be told, I never trusted her from the start." Zoro let out a dark chuckle. "You're really a conniving back-stabber aren't you?"

Nami sneered. "Good. You understand your position then. Tell you what though; Get out of my sight and maybe you'll stay alive, you're beginning to be an eyesore."

Zoro smirked. "If you insist…" he said before pushing himself off the floor and dived headfirst into the large pool behind him. Of course because his arms and legs were still tied up, he would just end up sinking. But that was what Zoro was counting on.

Nami stood there in stunned silence as Arlong and his crew looked at the spot in the pool he jumped into, commenting on how stupid or crazy he was for doing so.

'_Damnit, Zoro!'_ she cursed inwardly before jumping in after him, surprising the fishmen even more.

Eventually they both came up. Nami eyed Zoro sourly.

"What the hell were trying to do?" the only response she got was a chuckle from him.

"I knew it… you can't stand to see another human die in front of you… can you?"

Nami's face contorted in anger before stomping on Zoro's back. He groaned in pain from his still fresh wounds. "Don't mock me, you bastard!" she yelled. She hoisted him up and glared at him.

"Get involved, and you die, understand?" she hissed.

Zoro grinned. "Looks like Luffy was right about you after all." That comment resulted in him getting socked in the stomach by the navigator. He hissed uncomfortably before doubling over. The cut Mihawk gave him was still fresh.

"What should we do with him, Nami?" asked one of the fishmen.

"Just lock him up. I'll deal with him later." she replied.

Just then, a trio of fishmen came running through the entrance to the park. Two of them seemed to be carrying their unconscious comrade.

"Arlong-sama! Arlong-sama!" they both cried.

Arlong shifted his head in their direction. "What is it?" he then noticed that one of his own was out cold. He bolted upright in anger.

"What happened?" he roared.

One of the lackeys carrying him responded. "I saw what happened, boss. He was stopping this long-nosed human, when in next moment he was just out like a light. We found him like this after Nojiko took him off the streets. They're probably in Cocoyashi village now."

'_Usopp! Damnit, they found him!'_ Zoro thought to himself before being taken away to the brig.

Arlong's eyes narrowed before showing a sinister smirk. "Cocoyashi huh..? I was just about to head over there anyway for some business to take care of." he departed, with half of his crew coming along with him, while the others stayed behind.

* * *

(Cocoyashi Village)

* * *

"Oi, everyone! It's Arlong, he's back!" cried one of the villagers.

"What? But we've already paid him our tribute for this month! What could he possibly want now?" shouted another.

Sure enough, Arlong had arrived.

Usopp saw the fishman from a safe view-point behind a random house. The sniper gaped at his stature. "Is that Arlong? He looks vicious!" he whispered to Nojiko. She nodded. They both noticed the fishman talking to a mustached, middle-aged man riddled with scars and pinwheel on his hat.

"You know Genzo, I heard that you're withholding weapons. Is this true?" inquired Arlong.

Though the man's eyes were shadowed because of his hat, he peered out the corner of his hat to face the tyrannical Arlong.

"I have _a_ sword, which is used for décor. I happen to like collecting weapons." he told him.

Arlong snorted. "That's too bad. Because having such weapons, regardless of use, is a sign of upraise against us, the fishman, which as you know futile attempt, right? Gosa Village is a prime example of those who dare go against me and my crew if even one among them refuses to pay the monthly tribute!"

Usopp was perplexed. "Tribute? What does he mean by that?" he asked Nojiko.

"He means the money everybody in the village must pay every month.100,000 Beli for every adult and 50,000 Beli for every child." she replied.

Usopp gritted his teeth angrily and unknowingly cracked the corner part of the house, startling Nojiko. But Usopp had to calm down. He needed more control over his Haki or he could unknowingly knock out people with weak wills.

***CRASH!***

Both of them turned their heads to see Arlong grasping the village chief by his neck, choking the life out of him.

"Gen-san!" cried Nojiko.

Genzo struggled to breathe as Arlong tightened the grip on his windpipe. Arlong leaned in dangerously close enough that his razor-sharp saw-nose looked ready to puncture the old chief and turn his face into a pincushion.

"Listen up, all of you. The only thing you inferior humans of this island are good for is delivering me more money. And I want more money to help create my empire that will govern the entire East Blue. Not even the Marines will bother trying to save you pathetic humans!" he roared in laughter.

* * *

Zoro had been sitting in his cell for almost half-an-hour. He admitted to himself that his suspicions were wrong about Nami, and that his captain was right. Luffy may have been lacking a bit upstairs, but he was an excellent judge of character… in his bizarre way.

The swordsman heard the door to his cell unlock, and standing before him was none other than Nami. She was carrying a knife and Zoro's sword, Wado. It could be assumed that she might kill him. However, she did the opposite. Instead, she cut his ropes and freed him. She tossed him his sword and left immediately, but not before telling him to get out. And with that, she left.

While Zoro was curious about the situation, he would leave that to Luffy. Besides, he needed to take care of business, regarding the fishman providing the 'wonderful' accommodations. He grinned madly with bloodlust in his eyes as he unsheathed Wado and prepared to feed it a good meal of fish.

* * *

(Back to the situation at Cocoyashi)

Nojiko stared in horror as saw the man that she and Nami considered a father being threatened by the same fishman that killed their foster mother eight years ago.

Arlong chuckled darkly. "Now then. Since you decided to make an example of breaking the peace in my territory, I'll have to kill you in order to make an example of those who try to defy me."

"Hell no!" Nojiko voiced her protest, causing everyone to look at her. "Arlong, we've always paid you every month for the past eight years! We have no reason to attack you, so let Gen-san go!" she demanded.

"True, but I also explained the rules to you humans eight years ago as well. Now I have to kill your leader, because he was foolish enough to break them." suddenly, his features darkened. "Or would you prefer that I destroy this village?"

The thought of their home and everyone in it being killed and destroyed frightened them to the bone, but what choice did they have? Arlong could wipe out the village himself and not even care.

"Everyone, get to your houses!" croaked Genzo turning his head to the villagers that look up to him. "We've already made our choice to live and wait patiently."

The villagers protested, until they saw Arlong ram Genzo's head against the support beam of one house. "There, you see? You people should listen to your pack leader! Humans should live as the subspecies of the superior fishmen!"

"Gen-san!" the villagers cried simultaneously. Few of them even tried to attack Arlong, but Genzo raised a bleeding hand to stop them.

"If you all die here, our efforts will be for nothing. If I die, don't stop looking out for each other!" he said, before being picked up by the large fishman and prepping to drive him headfirst to the ground.

"Touching words. But they won't do any good when you're dead!" Arlong exclaimed before throwing his arm down, about to crush the old villager.

"_**Kayaku Boshi! (Gunpowder Star)"**_

***BOOM!***

The force of a Haki-reinforced exploding marble hit Arlong square in the head like a cannonball with twice the power. Arlong was forced to release his hostage as he flew back several feet.

"Arlong-sama!" the subordinates cried.

His lackeys were shell-shocked as well as the villagers. Who could possibly be brave enough or stupid enough to take on the fishmen?

"There's someone on the roof!" shouted one of the villagers.

"Who is it?" asked another.

Nojiko gasped at who she recognized. "That long-nosed guy!"

Usopp stood atop on one of the houses, slingshot in hand and an angry expression crossing his face (Now when Usopp gets into a serious fight, he'll have that fierce look from when he dueled Luffy). "Oi, you fish-bastards! Leave them alone and pick on someone worth the salt to fight you, you worthless, rotten fish-heads!"

Everyone surrounding the area gaped at him like he had just signed his death warrant.

Arlong got up after, only he seemed to be bleeding from his head wound. But that didn't seem to faze him. Instead, it served to infuriate him.

"So you want to fight me, eh, long-nose?" His predator-like glare faced Usopp, who was unfazed. **"YOU PATHETIC HUMAN! YOU DARE OPPOSE A SUPERIOR LIFE-FORM?"**

Without warning, Arlong charged towards Usopp's location and lifted the whole house with his bare hands. Usopp stumbled before quickly jumping on to the next roof. The sniper wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Damn, that was close." he said to himself before running off, leaving behind an enraged Arlong.

"After him! Don't let him escape! I want him caught and brought to me so I can kill him myself!" he roared. While most of his underlings held him back and returned to Arlong Park, the few fishmen who stayed left to chase after Usopp.

Once they caught up to him, they found him crossing his arms, like he was waiting for them.

"Get'im!"

Usopp thought that now would be a good time to test his close-combat skills he had been learning and practicing from the training sessions with Zoro and Luffy. The fishmen all charged him at once, and once he used a bit of Haki, he could see their attacks coming and retaliated with a series of swift punches and kicks. Within moments the fishmen were all battered, bruised and on the ground.

"Hold it right there long-nose!" the sniper snapped his head around and to his horror, two fishmen were holding the boy he had encountered earlier and his mother hostage. Immediately, he drew out his slingshot and prepared to fire. But the fishmen held knives against their hostages' throats.

'_Kuso! Why didn't I see it coming?'_

"Drop your weapon or these two die!"

The sniper had no choice. He put away his weapon and raised his hands in the air in terms of surrender. They took him prisoner and led him back to their leader's park.

Meanwhile, the villagers of Cocoyashi were tending to Genzo's wounds when they had yet another unannounced visitor.

"Long time no see, everyone!"

All heads turned and saw Nami carrying a bouquet of flowers. Without saying a word, the villagers returned to their homes, leaving only Genzo and Nojiko.

"Well look who it is. What brings you here Nami? You normally don't walk through here." said Nojiko.

"I heard some commotion going on here so naturally arrived." the red-head noticed the destroyed house. "I take it Arlong's pissed?" she inquired as she continued to walk on.

When she finally stopped, she arrived at the edge of Cocoyashi, where a grave was placed facing the sea. Nami placed her flowers next to the cross.

"Well, only 7 million Beli to go…" she said out loud.

Nojiko was leaning against a tree close-by. "You know you still have a bad reputation being with Arlong and all." she told her younger step-sibling.

Nami smiled. "I may be a pirate for Arlong, but soon that won't last long. I'll collect the remaining money and buy back the village from him."

* * *

Part 1 end.


	12. The King's Wrath, Annihilate Arlong Park

**One Piece: My Version**

The King's Wrath, Annihilate Arlong Park!

* * *

(Arlong Park)

"Sheesh…" Zoro was exasperated. He had just finished killing off all of the mermen in the hideout, which wasn't even a challenge for him. "Nami told me to leave, but I can't. Luffy told me to stay wait for them. Damnit, hurry up!"

"Mohmoo! It's time for your meal!"

Zoro tilted his head as he heard the sound come from the front gate separating the pool from the sea. "Who's making that noise?" he said to himself before getting up from Arlong's chair and made his way to the gate. He climbed over the wall and on the other side, he saw a merman that appeared to like half man, half-octopus.

"Oi, are you the one who made that sound?" asked Zoro, surprising the merman with his presence.

"Eh? Who are you? I'm Hachi. Are you a guest of Arlong?"

'_Guest..? Might as well play along.'_

"Er…Yes I am. Do you know where your boss is?" he asked octopus-man.

"He left for Cocoyashi Village earlier ago."

"How do I get to that village?

Hachi presented a large ceramic pot. "Hop in! Since you're a guest, I'll transport you there."

Seeing as how Zoro's options were to either find another way himself, which would inevitably get him lost, or hitch a ride in a ceramic pot. The swordsman weighed his options before choosing the latter. However at that same time Zoro had left, Arlong came back to see his men had been slaughtered.

"Who did this?" Arlong roared. One of his fallen coughed up blood before responding.

"It was Roronoa Zoro… he did this…" were the merman's last words before dying.

* * *

Back with Luffy and the rest of the crew, they had the large cow-fish pull their small boat at a faster pace. In a few minutes, they reached the island of Commi. Of course the cow didn't slow down, it sped up a bit, much to the protests of Luffy.

It was too late for them as the cow dived and the boat made an impact on the shoreline before flying into the air. Yosaku was screaming his lungs off, Gin was hanging on for dear life, and Sanji and Hawkins were in mid-air, acting like nothing was happening. Luffy just smiled like a hapless idiot before whooping.

* * *

Zoro was walking through the fields, desperately trying to find his long-nosed comrade who had gotten in trouble. Of course due to his poor sense of direction, his results were zip to none.

"Where is that place again?" he thought aloud. Suddenly, he heard the sound of trees falling. He surveyed the forest, until he saw a small boat sailing on solid ground, carrying Luffy and the others… heading straight towards him like a torpedo.

"Hey Zoro!" shouted Luffy.

"!"

***CRASH! SMASH! CRUNCH!***

The destroyed boat was now lodged at the side of a small cliff in a steppe field. Luffy plopped down first, the rest followed soon after. Gin and Yosaku were face-planted into the ground as they weren't accustomed to Luffy's insanity and stupidity.

'_Is this guy really a pirate?'_ thought Gin.

Sanji and Hawkins merely stepped down from the busted ship, when they heard a painful groan coming from underneath the ship. With immense strength, Zoro pushed the ship off of himself.

"You shit-for-brains, rubber-bastard! I could've been killed!" Zoro exclaimed his thoughts out loud.

The rubber-man looked at his first-mate confusedly. "Zoro, what are you doing here? You were supposed to find Nami."

The green-haired swordsman gripped Wado, preparing to slice up his idiot captain into cold cuts, when he was interrupted by said captain.

"Where's Usopp?" the young pirate asked.

"He's dead!" cried Johnny, who arrived with tears and snot dripping from his face. His face contorted in anger and sorrow. This grabbed the attention of all the crew, including Gin.

"Nami-oneechan did it! She stabbed him with a knife right in front of her boss! She really has betrayed us, hell; she didn't even belong with us! She was just using us the whole time! She's a black-hearted witch! She-"

**"Liar! Nami is our nakama! She was smiling and laughing like she's never done before! If you say one more lie, you'll regret it! Got it?"** The sound of a Haki-ampified voice came from Luff which ranged an estimate of 40 feet in diameter. The King's Disposition was more than just regular ambition control; it was enforcing your will onto others like a god among mortals. When one completely masters the Haoshoku Haki, they literally become a force of nature itself. It has been labeled as 'The Devil's Ambition' or 'The Conqueror's Absolute Will'. Another key difference in power with the Haoshoku Haki was the voice. It was 'The Voice of Absolute Will'. The power in the voice amplified by the user's disposition demanded to _everyone_ in the area that he/she was the alpha.

Luffy's outburst alone made all of his Nakama nearly pass out or lose their lunch from the sheer will of Monkey D. Luffy. The bounty hunter brothers weren't as fortunate as they were knocked out by the force of Haki with foam coating their mouths.

The sound of a wooden staff clattering to the ground rang through their ears. They all turned their heads and to their surprise, it was Nami. Her face looked pale and terrified. Tears ran down her cheeks as she collapsed unto her knees. A moment ago, she was just on her way back from Arlong's place after 'killing' Usopp when she had the misfortune of getting blasted with Luffy's Haki. This was different than when Luffy used it during the crew's training sessions; this was actually Luffy's emotions poured into it, and she could sense that he was angry.

Luffy halted his tirade and his rage ebbed away. He looked at Nami with a blank expression. He took a few steps forward before he was staring down at the navigator. Nami shakily lifted her head up; she berated herself for not seeing it sooner: This boy was more than just your average pirate/Devil Fruit user. No, he was the kind of person who could destroy and conquer the world if he wanted to.

'_He's going to kill me, I know it... I was a fool thinking he was no match for Arlong!'_

As soon as she saw Luffy make a gesture with his hand, she shut her eyes tightly, fearing of what Luffy would do to her. However, she felt something cover the top of her head. She opened her eyes and saw Luffy still standing there, without his hat on and his expression still unreadable.

"Luffy… I'm sorry…"

She then told everyone about how she and Nojiko were raised by a marine retiree for a foster mother named Bellemere. She also told them the time Arlong came to the island, ravaged the whole place, killed Bellemere right in front of her and forced her to write maps for him. Lastly, she made a deal with Arlong, that if she managed to get 100 billion Beli, she could buy back the village from him.

Usopp arrived at the scene moments later after Nami's confession. He was breathing heavily after sensing Luffy's power. It was right then and there that Usopp realized that even though he had the Haoshoku Haki, that outburst from his captain alone showed that he was still a novice compared to Luffy. He figured that Luffy must have had years of training just to harness it. Shaking off his doubtful thoughts, his attention went back to the scene before him and decided to make himself known.

"Guys, Nami didn't kill me! She just pretended to by stabbing her hand!"

However the crew members were still recovering from the effects of Luffy's Haki to notice the sniper's unexpected arrival.

Luffy's regular tone of voice brought them out of their stupor. "Damn Straight!" he pumped his fists in the air and yelled into the heavens.

"We'll take it from here Nami!" declared Luffy.

Nami sat there stunned when she saw Zoro and Usopp sporting their own grins; Hawkins as usual was unreadable, but he showed an inkling of understanding. More tears threatened to escape but she quickly sniffed and wiped them away with her hand.

Nojiko came running in with a panicked look on her face.

"Nami, the Marines are here! They're trying to steal the treasure!"

At the mention of marines, Sanji glowered as he clenched his trembling fist angrily.

The navigator/thief snapped her head up. "What?"

* * *

After dropping off the unconscious bounty hunters, the reunited crew made their way to Nami and Nojiko's orchard farm to see the rat like marine captain of the 16th branch, Captain Nezumi ordering his men to confiscate all of her stolen treasure, and took his leave.

It was then Nami realized that Arlong planned this. This way, she would never let her go and he would get more money out of it. She suddenly felt a grip on her shoulder. Her brown eyes met a dark-ringed black one. She immediately felt heat rise up in her cheeks.

'_Oh God, why do I have this effect when I come in contact with him.'_ she thought.

"Allow me, Nami-san." spoke Sanji.

He immediately got working and kicked the marines into submission until they were bloody pulps. But to be honest, Sanji wanted to do much more to them than a simple beating.

When he was finished, the pirate-chef walked up to Nami and bowed. Nami, feeling grateful to him for saving her money decided to give him a reward.

She smiled coyly. "Arigato, Sanji-kun. And here's your reward." she leaned forward and gave him a quick, chaste kiss on the lips. The action took the chef by surprise; a light blush crossed his cheeks. Her sister was just as surprised.

'_Nami, do you really like this guy? You barely even know him.'_

Later, Nami apologized to the villagers for betraying them and told them everything about the deal she made with Arlong. To her surprise and shock, they knew the truth when it was revealed to them eight years ago. In actuality, she felt rather glad and content that her fellow villagers were with her and never lost faith in her all these years.

Now it was all up to her friends to take care of the root of her problem.

* * *

(At Arlong Park)

Arlong was not happy, at all. First, he gets attacked out of nowhere by a weakling human, then he finds out that Roronoa Zoro had killed off half his crew. He growled irritably at his misfortune. But, at least he still had his insurance: Nami and her map-making abilities. As long as he continued to have a hold on her, he would get more money than ever before and get a head-start on building his empire.

That short moment of greed lasted for only a few seconds when he suddenly heard the double-steeled doors from the side-entrance burst open and tear themselves off from the bolted hinges.

The fishman let out an irritated snarl. _'Great, now what?'_

The rest of the crew took notice of the destroyed entrance. They noticed several shapes enter the park. One was their recent prisoner, Roronoa Zoro, the other was the long-nosed sniper they thought that Nami had gotten rid of, and the other two were a scruffy-looking pirate with cannonball tonfas while the other looked more like a heavy metal rock star. Lastly, there was a very pissed off teen with a straw hat.

"Which one of you is Arlong?" he spoke.

"That'd be me…"

Luffy walked slowly towards the merman; anger evident in his face. When more flunkies tried to halt his approach, Luffy just blasted them with a force of Haki that knocked them back a considerable distance.

"Who are you?" inquired Arlong.

"I'm Luffy, and I'm a pirate." Luffy replied.

"Well Luffy, what business does a pirate have with me?" Luffy stopped right at Arlong's side; his expression unreadable, until it contorted into full-blown rage.

**"NEVER MAKE MY NAKAMA CRY!"**

Arlong didn't see an attack coming until he felt a powerful hit to his jaw. The impact of the blow sent him flying back, through the wall and crash-landed further down a forest path, leaving behind a crater trail.

"Arlong-sama!" the lowly henchmen cried before they rounded on the one who struck their leader.

"Why you… Kill him!" they all jumped at him, preparing to attack. Their assault was halted due to a series of heavy-weighted tonfa strikes and a levitation throw courtesy of both Gin and Hawkins. The result, all of the mermen flunkies were out of commission.

"Weaklings shouldn't interfere…" Gin casted them a death glare.

"Lest they suffer the wrath of our captain." Hawkins added.

Outside of the gate, Johnny and Yosaku guarded the entrance, preventing the angry mob of villagers from entering. Nami and Sanji got there to see the two at the entrance.

"Johnny? Yosaku? What are you guys doing here?" Nami asked.

"Those fish-bastards made Nami-senpai cry!" replied Yosaku.

"What other reason would we be here for?" added Johnny.

The two noticed Sanji and let him through. The cook rejoined the others as they came face-to-face with Arlong's generals: Kuroobi a manta-ray merman, Chew a blowfish merman, and Hachi the octopus merman. They took note of Nami and the angry mob of villagers at the entrance.

"I knew you were a traitor, Nami." Kuroobi sneered.

Chew shook his head and added his input. "Yare, yare…. You've caused quite a lot of trouble Nami. Allying yourself to an amateur, no-named pirate crew and instigating a rebellion of your weakling villagers."

Hachi glared and pointed his finger accursedly at Zoro. "Oi, Oi! That's the guy I gave a ride in my pot! He tricked me!"

Kuroobi and Chew groaned at Hachi's stupidity before getting ready for battle.

When Arlong returned, the left side of his face had a large fist-print in his left cheek, blood trickled out his mouth and he was this close to losing it.

'_I see, so that's their relation to Nami.'_

"You fools'll pay for what you did!" shouted Hachi. "And now to punish you, I'm gonna summon the heavy artillery! HEY MOHMOO!"

The water in the pool rippled before a large shape rose from the surface. It revealed to be the same cow-fish Luffy had encountered earlier. Only this time the creature had a large bump on his head and it seemed to be crying anime-tears.

"Eh? Mohmoo, what the hell happened to you?" Hachi cried; shocked to see his pet had been injured.

Luffy and Sanji glanced up at the sea-beast. They could've sworn that it shrunk in fear when they acknowledged it. After an awkward pause, the creature made its way back into the watery depths.

"Mohmoo… Where do you think you're going?" Arlong addressed the cow-fish, which made it stop in its tracks.

"If you want to leave, fine. I won't stop you. Go, Mohmoo…"

Something about that sentence trigger something in the beast's mind and reverted back into a ferocious beast. It bellowed a 'moo' before turning back to face the enemy pirates.

The Straw Hats prepared to attack, all except Luffy. He seemed to be waiting for something, or particular nakama he had known for years to be exact.

Suddenly, an even bigger set crashing of waves was heard behind the opened water-gate. Out of the surface arose a familiar, mud-colored, red-eyed Sea-King. However, Luffy noticed a small, no, _**huge**_ difference regarding his nakama's appearance. For one, the sea-monster was 4 times the size of Mohmoo and seemed to have an elongated neck adorned with the same green fins and spines reaching from the top of its head to its newly evolved torso and ending at the tip of its new tail. The beast's eyes narrowed at the smaller creature in front of him and snarled. Mohmoo paled at the larger creature.

"moo…?"

**"ROOOOAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!"**

With a pathetic whimper the cow-fish quickly swam at accelerating rates, far away from the bigger monster. Said monster glared at the distance Mohmoo was going before hearing his master's call.

"Ryoku!" Luffy happily cried, his attitude ranging from calm to happy-go-lucky again. The Sea-King turned its head too look down at his master before descending his head to meet him. Ryoku nuzzled his snout so Luffy could give it a big hug.

"Whoa, you got huge! How did you change so much?"

The monster merely grunted and whined affectionately while the villagers looked at the pair like they were the oddest thing in the area; a boy and his Sea-King. Luffy then ordered Ryoku to wait by the Going Merry, to which the monster obeyed.

Arlong had enough of this foolishness. "Hachi, Chew, Kuroobi… Kill them!"

His three generals stood in the way of the Straw Hats.

"It's time to show these humans who's on top of the food chain." said Kuroobi.

"And put them in their place, chu~! added Chew.

Hachi suddenly wielded six swords, one in each hand.

"I'll go after Zoro first! He'll pay for making a fool out of me!" he visibly fumed.

Zoro noticed his opponent was a swordsman that wielded twice the number of swords he had. He grinned in bloodlust, and undid his bandana around his arm and tied it around his head. There was just one thing… the fight with Mihawk destroyed his swords, not counting Wado.

But not for long; Both Johnny and Yosaku tossed their swords up into air calling for their brother to catch them. He did so and was now prepared to fight. Zoro was having somewhat difficulty holding off this octopus-man who dared to call himself a swordsman. If he was in tip-top condition, the fight would be over with already. Sadly, his recent loss to Mihawk left him with still fresh wounds that were being held down by bandages alone to stop the bleeding. However, the most troublesome wound was the large slash mark across his chest from Kokutou Yoru.

Zoro breathed laboriously as felt his vision blurring a bit.

"Looks like you're too heavily injured to even fight to your full potential, while I'm still strong! Admit defeat Roronoa Zoro! Because of my six arms, I can wield six swords at once! And with my superior strength, I can easily overpower you!"

Though the bandana shadowed his eyes, Zoro showed minor annoyance. "Shut up and fight, octo-freak!"

That insult caused Hachi to fume visibly. "You bastard, take this! Octopus Swords!" he ran at Zoro, flailing all six sword-wielding arms ridiculously.

Zoro needed to end this fight quickly or else he would succumb to his wounds. Once the octopus-man began his onslaught of attacks, Zoro began to counter with his own unorthodox style. Once he found an opening, he took advantage of it.

**"_Santōryū- Tō Rō Nagashi!"(Three Sword Style- Bleeding the Wolf)_**

The fishman didn't feel a thing until Zoro slipped passed through his assault. After that, he felt a large cut upside his abdomen.

The surprised Hachi promptly ignored the pain and rounded at his opponent again.

"You bastard! Now I'm really mad! _**Pot-Stance Attack!**_" Hachi charged forward, his sabers lined up into a pot-like form.

Zoro was about to block until he saw a vision in his head, revealing a failed block and Hachi head-butting him in his torso.

'_Okay, how about this…?'_

He waited for his enenmy to get closer until he made his move. He began to spin his entire body into a crazy circular motion and channeled Haki into his blades.

**"_Tatsumaki!"(Dragon Twister)_**

Hachi didn't see the attack coming, until he was launched into the air by an air-slicing tornado, his swords shattered and multiple, heavy slash wounds riddled his entire torso. The octopus fishman landed with a crash. He tilted his head up shakily.

"How…? Beaten by a human…? And with only…three swords….?"

Zoro casted his fallen enemy a hard look. "You swords may weigh more, but _my_ swords are much heavier."

With a cough, Hachi passed out from his wounds.

"Hachi!" Chew cried at his fallen childhood friend. When the fishman sniper wasn't paying attention he was knocked back from the force of a Haki-enhanced lead pellet shot square to his forehead. He never even saw it coming and it hurt like hell! He shakily stood up, feeling disoriented from the sniper's attack.

"You… long-nosed bastard!" Chew noticed Usopp running away so the merman-sniper gave chase.

Kuroobi cracked his knuckles when he was facing Sanji, Hawkins and Gin.

"Alright, which one do I pick first?" the manta-ray said smugly.

Both Sanji and Hawkins knew they could handle this easily, but they wanted to see what Gin could do besides defeat a couple of flunkies. Gin got the idea and walked calmly up to the merman, swinging his tonfa once around.

Kuroobi laughed uproariously at the smaller man. "You think you stand a chance, runt? Let me tell you something about the difference in our strength. Whether I'm on land or in the water, my Fishman Karate is powerful. So your chances of beating me are zero!"

Just as Kuroobi got into his stance, he was decked in the head by a single tonfa coming from his right, but it was too fast for him to see it coming. Taken by surprise from the attack, Kuroobi was knocked back, but kept his stance so instead of falling he skidded back until his legs planted him in place. The manta-ray fishman furiously grasped his wounded head and picked up a few pieces of his shattered pride.

"Damn you!" Kuroobi cursed vehemently at Gin. He would not hold back anymore. They both charged forward until both sides clashed.

Gin was surprised at how much strength he had to use just to hold him here. They both pushed off and charged again. The two would attack and defend respectively. Gin would have thought that defending against a stronger opponent would be troublesome, but strange visions of his opponents attacks came to his mind so he could see them ahead of time and counterattack. Unfortunately for him, his opponent was faster than him. He had to be careful not to pull any punches or his opponent could kill him in an instant.

After a whirlwind of exchanging blocks, Kuroobi broke through Gin's defenses and landed a crushing blow to the chest.

Gin saw it coming, but couldn't defend in time. He felt the wind knocked right out of him as the force of the blow felt like a shotgun blast up-close. The raggedy pirate was knocked back a few feet more than when he knocked his opponent. Thankfully, he was used to this kind of abuse when he dealt with marine captains or enemy pirates with heavy weapons. Each time he would get stronger from his victories because he had a message that he viciously beat into his head when he served under Krieg.

'_Failure is not an option.'_ He would win. And this time, he had more reason to fight than to just prove his strength, he fought for the same reason the others were fighting right now: for your comrades, thus giving him the strength he needed to continue fighting.

Kuroobi unleashed a flurry of strikes upon Gin, who defended and retaliated as best as possible. After a few minutes of brawling, both sides were both beaten badly and bleeding profusely from their heads. After a steady stand-off, Gin began twirling his tonfa at an alarming rate while his opponent got into a knife-hand stance. Gin made a mad dash, his eyes fixated on his target, guaranteeing to end the battle. Whether it was God's divine gift or Buddha's blessing, Gin could suddenly see Kuroobi's next move even though his eyes showed him that his opponent was still in his stance. Deciding not to waste this chance, he finally saw the attack his opponent made just as it was pictured in his mind. Gin dodged it in time and with all the strength in his arms, made the final strike.

**"_Airon Shotto!"(Iron Shot)_**

Both of his iron-ball tonfas made contact with the fishman's midsection and head, knocking Arlong's lieutenant out cold and sending him flying through the wall with a loud crash in a similar fashion his leader had received from Luffy but not as strong.

Gin panted heavily but remained standing. That was _**the most**_ difficult fight he had ever been in. During his days under Krieg, he had to fight off 3 units of marine battleships all on his own, avoiding many shots fired at him, and dodging and retaliating against marine soldiers and captains that were 2x's stronger than he was. The only thing that kept him going was his resolve of servitude. Hell, all those times he had fought were merely brutal trials of the world. This fight he had just come out of proved to be another test of his resolve and to prove himself to the crew.

* * *

Meanwhile, Usopp was running from Chew until the path led them to a dense thicket of woods on one side and a small pond on the other. But the long-nosed sniper knew he was at a disadvantage considering both their running speeds were nearly equivalent to each other. Usopp had no choice but to turn around. Usopp prepped his slingshot and turn around quickly. His Haki senses showed him Chew about to strike him in the face, so he thought quickly and purposely tilted backwards, narrowly dodging the fishman's oncoming fist. He stumbled and combat-rolled backwards until he had his opponent in range and fired another Haki-pellet aimed at Chew's neck. The force of the blow caused the fishman's windpipe to close-up temporarily disrupting the intake of air making Chew choke and cough for a few minutes.

Usopp knew that in terms of strength, he was no match for the fishman. Right now, he had to find a place for cover in the woods. But when Chew saw him make a break for it, he ran after him, and followed him thoroughly.

Chew looked around, but his prey was nowhere to be seen.

"Alright, where are you? Come on out take your punishment like a man!" he demanded. His beady eyes shifted from tree to tree until finally he saw the shape of a human come running out of his hiding place.

Chew smirked. "There you are…" he took a quick intake of breath, his cheeks puffing out.

**"_Hyappatsu Mizu-deppo!"(Hundred-Shot Water Cannon)_** he began to shoot jet-stream bullets of water out of his mouth like a machine gun. Each water-bullet was capable of tearing through dense objects like a wet tissue-paper. Within moments at least a dozen, shredded pieces of lumber fell before him.

Chew thought he had hit his mark, when suddenly a bottle was tossed at him. Naturally, he caught with ease. He took one glance at it, and laughed.

"Beer? Are you that desperate to cling for your life, that you're bribing me with booze? Don't make me laugh!" the fishman scoffed and shook his head at the ridiculous idea of mercy.

That moment of overconfidence was all Usopp needed. He fired another lead bullet, this time at the bottle that Chew was holding. As a result, the bottle shattered and the alcohol was sprayed all over the fishman sniper.

Taken by surprise, Chew growled angrily, all while getting beer out of his eyes.

"Damn you! Are you trying to piss me off?" he shouted.

Usopp stood out in the open facing his opponent, his slingshot in hand with a red-colored pellet. He calmly addressed his adversary.

"Did you know that alcohol is very flammable?" he stated while preparing to fire at him.

A look of shock crossed the fishman's features.

**"_Kaen Boshi!"(Flame Star)_**

The shot was fired successfully, and Chew was on fire. He cried out in pain, ran out of the woods and back to the path where he saw the small pond. Usopp gave chase and took out a hammer.

When he saw his enemy attempting to put out the flames, he sprang from his hiding place and with his Haki-infused hammer, smashed it right into the fishman's face. Usopp repeatedly hit him until Chew was knocked out and his head was covered in sores, bruises and lumps.

With a few heavy breaths, Usopp grinned. He had won his first battle.

* * *

Back at Arlong Park, Arlong himself was furious. These humans had the nerve to rebel against him after he had given them mercy, and now they had pirates defeat his entire crew, leaving him the only one standing.

Sanji and Hawkins were about to attack, when they were stopped by Luffy.

"Leave him to me; I'll make sure he never comes to hurt Nami again!"

Arlong glanced at his fallen. "Hachi…Kuroobi…"

Then Usopp came back. A little dirtied up, but fine nonetheless.

"Hey guys! I just took care of that fishman. What'd I miss?" said the sniper.

Arlong snarled. "Chew…"

Now it was Luffy's turn to step up to the plate.

"You… Look what you've done to my crew! Do you have any idea how angry you've made me after you've killed my crew?"

Luffy stared at the shark-man with a blank expression. "No, and I don't care. You're out-numbered and outmatched."

Arlong's misdemeanor shifted into a menacing grin, a guttural chuckle escaping his throat.

"Tell me human; what's the difference between us?"

Luffy pondered on this for a few moments before a number of answers came to him.

"Teeth…? Fins…? Gills…? Noses…?"

Each answer continued to add insult to injury on Arlong's part, pissing him off to no end. The villagers were speechless at Luffy's carefree attitude towards there oppressor.

"Oh, now I know! It's webbed hands and feet!"

That was last straw.

"IT'S OUR SPECIES!" Arlong jumped at him, preparing to bite down on Luffy's skull, had not said pirate seen the attack coming and retaliated with a powerful kick upside the fishman's head, launching him up to the air. Luffy disappeared and reappeared right in front of Arlong, with a twisted arm stretched back. And then, just like a spinning top, the arm spun so fast it was like a human drill.

**"Gomu-Gomu no Rifle!"(Gum-Gum Rifle)**

Luffy's twister-punch made contact. The force of the blow was so strong; it ruptured a few of Arlong's internal organs and broke several of his ribs in one shot. The saw-shark fishman was shot into the pool area and a colossal crashing of waves was heard by everyone witnessing the fight.

Luffy landed nimbly on his feet. His arms relaxed at his sides. His expression was still blank. He suddenly caught sight of his enemy swimming around in a very shark-like pattern until he submerged.

Luffy closed his eyes and relaxed. Nami and the villagers began to protest.

"Luffy, what are you doing? If you stay like that you're a sitting duck!"

But young pirate captain paid no mind, for he knew when his opponent would strike. All he had to do was wait and see.

**"_Shark on Darts!"_**

Like a torpedo, Arlong shot himself out of the water and was about to skewer the puny human with his nose. But Luffy's strength was greater than his. With a clenched fist, he backhanded Arlong's attack, swatting the fishman away like he was nothing but a fly. The result of that caused Arlong to lose balance and run through another wall.

All others watched in amazement. Here standing before them, was a small-time pirate taking down their oppressor like he was nothing.

When Arlong returned, his eyes changed. They were formed into slits and revealed an icy-blue color. In short, he was pissed off.

"So you're finally getting serious then?" mocked Luffy.

Arlong made a mad dash at Luffy and opened his jaws wide so he could chomp down and rip him to shreds. Sadly for him, Luffy was faster than he was and could predict his attacks easily. Arlong resorted to shark frenzy and continuously attempted to bite at Luffy from various directions, only to find them futile, as his prey had his eyes closed and arms crossed all while dodging his attacks with relative ease.

"Maa, is that really all you got? This fight isn't even the least bit interesting." said a bored Luffy.

Arlong was seeing red. How dare a human both mock and belittle him. He was the superior species and his enemy was a lowly evolved life-form. So why couldn't he lay a finger on him? The shark-man refused to believe he was getting beaten so effortlessly.

All of Cocoyashi's villagers and Nami included were dumbfounded. Luffy was toying with Arlong. He only landed three strikes on Arlong and already they saw the fishman having trouble with him.

"I swear, you're way too slow…" Luffy insulted him some more while dodging, fueling more rage in Arlong.

"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU! I'LL KILL YOU AND EAT YOU ALIVE!" Arlong roared. However, just when he was in mid-chomp, Luffy grabbed his nose out of nowhere. Arlong thought he was being foolish in doing that and attempted to stab him with it. But wait… he couldn't budge. With all his fishman strength he desperately tried to push his nose forward so he could stab Luffy, but to everyone's surprise, he just didn't budge. The answer, Luffy was holding him in place.

"Impossible! No human should be stronger than a fishman!"

To Luffy, it was hardly an effort just to hold him in place. When Dragon trained both him and Ace, he made sure they would be strong enough to take down a giant like an average human.

"You seem to be very proud of your nose…." he stated before snapping it to the side with a flick of his wrist.

Arlong howled in pain. He stopped his assault to clutch his nose and snapped it back into place.

"That's it! I've had enough of this!" Arlong ran to the side of his HQ and ran his arm through the wall. He seemed to be trying to find something. He found what he was searching for and yanked it out from the wall. It revealed to be a large saw-toothed zanbatou capable of shredding and destroying.

Nami gaped. "That's—Kiribachi!"

Luffy whistled. "That's a dangerous-looking sword." he remarked. He grasped the hilt of his scimitar, unsheathed it and showed it to Arlong.

"How 'bout a swordfight?"

With a roar, Arlong leapt at Luffy, preparing to cleave him in two. Luffy just smirked. With a loud *clang*, Kiribachi was the one cut in half. The top-half went flying into sky before landing over the gate and into the open sea. The zanbatou was cut down to size, leaving only two saw-teeth.

Luffy sheathed his sword. Arlong looked at his now-broken sword before snarling. Luffy could've sworn he saw foam coming out of his mouth.

"Awww…. Are you cranky 'cause I broke your toy…" mocked the teen.

Arlong charged again, swinging the broken sword. But Luffy disappeared in a blur, making the shark-man miss. He looked around for the young pirate-punk, until he heard another whistle.

"Over here…"

Arlong heard that coming from his upper left. He saw Luffy standing up on the scaffolding roof of the second floor.

'_How did he…?'_

Arlong launched at him again. **"Shark on Darts!"**

No one saw what happened next except for those with keen eyesight. When Arlong ran Luffy through with his nose again, the scarred teen merely side-stepped out of the way, and decided to use the fishman's force against him. In that short span of time, Luffy grabbed the back of Arlong's head and rammed him through the window. Luffy followed swiftly by jumping in.

"Eh? What is this place?" he thought out loud, not even paying attention to heavily wounded and beaten fishman before him. He was too busy noticing the piles of paper in the room.

"What's with all these pieces of paper?"

Arlong grunted when he got up. A sinister smile plastered on his face. "This… is Nami's room… The place where she makes maps for me…"

Luffy listened on until a pen dropped to his leg. He picked it up and noticed it was covered in dried blood.

"This pen is…."

Arlong chuckled. "Ahh yes… Nami used that very pen to make all these stacks of maps. Normally we fishmen know the sea like back of our hands, but it's hard for us to draw maps as perfect as these. I will admit this boy; among your vermin, Nami stands out perfectly than all the rest. When she was ten she had the cartographical skills that only people would dream of having. She truly is a prodigy….That's why I'm not letting her go… her skills serve no other purpose than to serve as the pillar for my fishman empire! And it all starts here in the East Blue! Once I have all the world's maps at my disposal, no one will stand in my way! My empire will flourish and you humans will serve as our slaves!"

Luffy only paid half-attention to the fishman's rant. He was too busy crushing the pen in his hand. His eyes shadowed by his hair.

"You see? I have full use of Nami as my tool… What could you possibly hope to use her for?"

That moment, all hell broke loose. Luffy felt rage and hot-white anger fill his soul. He lifted his head up to meet Arlong's predator gaze with his own. Only his, was 10x's scarier.

**"USE? YOU EXPECT ME TO USE HER?"** Luffy's vocal roars echoed and amplified over the entire complex of Arlong Park. The foundation itself was shaking. Concrete walls began to crack with large hairline fractures and lumber supports began to chip and splinter.

Cold sweat beaded down the side of Arlong's face. _'What is he?'_ he thought frantically. His attention was brought back when Luffy began smashing the place.

"You fool! My maps what are you doing to my maps?" Arlong yelled indistinctly.

Luffy's glare only intensified at the fishman. **"It's this room… She doesn't want to be in here anymore! I'LL DESTROY THIS PLACE AND ABSORB IT INTO MY DARKNESS!"**

As if on cue, Luffy activated his dark logia powers. The darkness around him began to swallow the papers into the dark oblivion. He shot his leg up through the roof and high into the cloudy sky above as far as his powers would let him stretch. The darkness was coating it, resulting in the clouds above the complex to turn pitch black themselves.

With a sound of thunder was heard, Luffy made his final attack.

**"GOMU-GOMU NO YAMI KUJIKU!"(Gum-Gum Darkness Crush)**

Arlong made the foolish choice of attacking Luffy, which proved useless as he felt the force of Luffy's wrath added with the force of 100x's normal gravity. The attack itself felt like an almighty weight crushing the fishman as he went through several floors and 15 feet through the ground, leaving a large fishman outlined crater.

Saw-Tooth Arlong was finished; beaten by the very humans he claimed were inferior.

Suddenly, the outcome of Luffy's last attack destroyed Arlong Park from the inside-out. The spectators stood clear as large building crumbled to pieces.

When the dust settled, there was no sign of Luffy. The locals were now worried. Surely a crumbling building wouldn't topple someone as powerful as him, would it?

The answer… Hell no! For just then, the same person who had liberated them appeared from out of the rubble. He dusted himself off like it was no big deal.

The scarred teen's eyes landed on Nami. "NAMI! WE'RE NAKAMA!" he exclaimed with pride.

And for once in her life, Nami shed tears of joy.

However, the villagers and the rest of the Straw Hat pirates noticed that he wasn't finished as Luffy summoned his darkness again.

He slammed his hand down onto the ruins of Arlong Park.

**"Black Hole"** all of the rubble was pulled into the darkness, leaving nothing but an empty space on the ground.

Luffy turned to the direction of the pool, noting that the gate was still open to the sea. Aiming carefully, he released all that he absorbed into the darkness.

**"Liberation!"**

The debris that went into the human black hole came out in smaller, crushed pieces and released into the ocean, where they would sink to bottom and no one would have to see it again.

After switching off his powers, Luffy turned to face the stunned-speechless villagers of Cocoyashi. After a few minutes of silence, they all cheered. They laughed, they cried, some even went so far as to slapping each other to make sure that this was indeed happening.

And it was… The nightmare of Arlong Park was over.

* * *

Hey readers! Sorry for not posting this up sooner, I've been swamped with tests left and right! Anyway, I'll be sure to get started on the next chapter right away.

**Next Time on One Piece: The Aftermath and Arrival In Loguetown!**


	13. Loguetown pt1

**One Piece: My Version**

Loguetown Part 1: The Place of Beginnings and Ends

* * *

It was a glorious, sunny day out in the East Blue. Luffy sat upon his usual post on the Going Merry's figurehead, smiling broadly at the whole sea in front of him past Ryoku's newly-evolved neck. While the sea was the only thing that could kill him, that didn't stop his yearning embrace of freedom in the world. Hell, he would jump in head first into the water if he wanted to, Devil Fruit or not. He then shifted his gaze to his pet-nakama. Luffy was curious as to how he grew so much and asked Nami if she knew anything about it. To his dismay, she told him that she let him go free as soon as she made it back to her home. Her guess was as good as his.

It had been a few days since Arlong's defeat and the fall of his ambition. The villagers of Cocoyashi cheered for the Straw-Hat Pirates. However their celebration was cut short as the corrupt marine captain, Nezumi attempted to confiscate the money handed to Arlong and the treasure Nami stole from pirates over the years. But the fiery-haired navigator smashed his face in with her staff and told him to keep his slimy hands off her treasure. Before Nezumi could protest, Luffy hoisted him up and swung him around like a ragdoll before tossing him into the air at high speeds until he was nothing but a shining star in the blue sky.

Luffy chuckled to himself when he remembered how the 'rat-guy' as Zoro so bluntly put it, "Squealed like a pig" when he was shot into the sky.

Luffy then thought of the recently new additions to his crew; Sanji the chef, and Gin the newly appointed helmsman. Luffy didn't need Haki to sense that there was something off about the blonde, quiet, cook. But he decided not to worry about it now.

He was impressed with Gin's fighting prowess and he would help him get past the first stop. The helmsman decided to get stronger and joined Zoro and Usopp in their training regiments.

Speaking of which, Sanji surprised everyone when he had already mastered the basic two colors of Haki during a training session. Luffy was curious as to how the cook had come to master both colors. When he asked, Sanji would change the subject or find an excuse with a fake smile.

The cook seemed to be very distant from everyone around him. Here, on this ship, he didn't bother trying to get know anyone. He acted more like he was still working at the Baratie instead of living the life of adventure. Everyone could tell that fake smile was just a mask hiding his true nature.

"Everyone, get over here now!" Nami barked.

Luffy's thoughts came back to Earth when he heard his navigator urgently yell out. He got up from his seat, leapt off the figurehead and landed on deck. He saw Nami standing crossly with a newspaper rolled up in her hand. The rest of the crew stopped what they were doing; Usopp working on his fighting style, Zoro and Gin with weight training, Hawkins snapping out of his meditation, and Sanji stepping out of the kitchen brandishing his knives.

"What's up Nami?" Luffy spoke casually, completely oblivious to the tic mark on his navigator's forehead. His response was a bop to the top of his skull.

Nami shoved the unfolded newspaper she had been holding and shoved it in Luffy's face. She pointed to an article regarding recent events.

"Read!" she barked.

Luffy, not knowing the meaning of subtlety, read the article out loud.

"_In recent news, there is uproar in the East Blue. A rookie pirate by the name of Monkey D. 'Straw Hat' Luffy, has made himself known in less than a month's time. He has already taken care of the three major bounties in the East Blue: 'Pirate-Clown' Buggy, 'Foul Play' Don Krieg, and 'Saw-Tooth Arlong. Former Marine Captain Nezumi had this to say:_

"_That monster has two Devil Fruits! I saw it with my own eyes! One allows him to stretch and the other covers him in some kind of dark smoke- I don't know… Anyway, that boy is a menace and deserves to have his head on a pike! He should not be allowed to live! He had the power of Haki at his disposal and took down Arlong like he was nothing!" _

_Nezumi was then discharged from the Marines after a recent discovery that he was taking graft from Arlong. _

_After dealing with the dismissal of Nezumi, several units were sent to among the following places that Straw Hat Luffy's recent trail had made the most impact in the East Blue: Shell Town, Orange Town, the Floating Restaurant Baratie, and finally Cocoyashi village. However the villagers of the aforementioned locations jeered at them and cursed them to get out. _

_Several people from those locations were questioned about the pirate and they had this to say:_

"_That boy saved us from those lousy Marines, especially Morgan! Quite frankly, I'd rather trust pirates than them!"_

"_He liberated our village from Buggy in less than a day than when we contacted the closest Marine base several times for weeks on end, but they didn't bother to show up!" _

"_Luffy's an honorable young'un. He holds true to his dreams and treasures his friends more than his life. I hope he accomplishes what he's looking for and that I don't regret my decision entrusting my son to his crew."_

_Due to 'Straw Hat' Luffy having instigated chaos across the East Blue, Fleet Admiral Sengoku has decided to place a bounty on his head. Wanted: Dead or Alive, the bounty for Monkey D. 'Straw Hat' Luffy is 60 million beli due to his adept prowess of Haki and the first person to wield two Devil Fruits." _

An illustration of Luffy was portrayed below, showing his usual grin while the back of Usopp's head was in the background.

The captain laughed. "Yes! Finally! I got my first bounty, and it's a big one! Not bad for a head start!" he boasted proudly.

Nami conked him, leaving a large, swollen, bump on Luffy's head. Smoke surrounded her clenched fist as she glared daggers at the downed captain.

"Are you insane? The Marines are going to be all over us now once they see your wanted poster! We're not even in the Grand Line yet and already you've gotten us into deep shit!" the navigator berated and cursed.

"Nami." Luffy spoke with a serious tone, making the navigator's anger vanish instantly. "We live in Golden Age of Piracy, being a pirate alone will get you in trouble with the Marines, bounty or no bounty." This time Luffy's voice went back to his lighter tone. "Besides, it was bound to happen sooner or later, and I'd prefer to let happen sooner than later, so I'm not complaining."

Nami wanted to say more but was interrupted by Sanji's call for lunch.

Later, the crew sat and enjoyed their meal until Usopp popped a question.

"So, where's our next stop?" he asked.

Gin voiced his grim reply. "At the rate we're going, Loguetown, the place where journeys begin and end. It's the final stop before entering the Grand Line. It's also the place where the Pirate King, Gold Roger was born and where he died and began the Golden Age."

At this, Luffy's grin threatened to split his face in two.

"Alright! I wanna go there!" Luffy yelled. He felt as happy as a kid in a candy store.

"If anything, I hope I can find some new swords. I can't fight to my full potential this way." said Zoro.

Usopp scratched his chin in thought before answering. "I've needed some new goggles. Maybe something that can help me in battle."

Nami looked pleased. "And I definitely need some new clothes! Maybe one's that shows off my curves in the right places." she winked at Sanji, who caught her look before turning back to his meal, hoping she wouldn't see the faint blush on his otherwise blank face.

Hawkins said nothing; he was too busy looking at his tarot cards. After a short period of silence from the mystic, he spoke.

"Luffy, expect another recruitment. Someone you've recently met."

Luffy looked perplexed at Hawkins' statement. He knew it was a prediction, but with Hawkins, every prediction was a cryptic message. So he shrugged and pumped his fists into the air.

"Then it's settled, set a course for Loguetown!" he yelled.

As soon as Ryoku was given the directions, he pulled the reigns with all his might, the Going Merry hanging in tow. They sped off into the horizon like an extra-large motorboat to the birth/death place of Gold Roger.

* * *

(An unknown island in the New World)

"C-C-Captain, It's Mihawk, he's here!" cried a newbie pirate as he ran into a clearing where his captain would be.

Sure enough there he was, sitting under a large umbrella. Around him were his generals; One was a rotund man chomping on a large piece of rotisserie, the other was a lackadaisical scruffy man laid back against a stump without a care. The last was the captain's first mate, smoking a cigar and had an x-shaped scar across the left side of his face.

Before them stood the World's Greatest Swordsman.

"What is it you want Hawkeye? I'm not in the mood to fight you." the captain replied.

"Don't worry you've bored me long enough. Actually, I came here to tell you that I met some interesting pirates. One of which happened to be a young rookie wearing a similar straw hat you once wore. He's very strong for a rookie." Mihawk pulled out a wanted poster that he been given by the World Government. It was of Monkey D. Luffy.

The sun took the time to illuminate the jungle, revealing a red-haired pirate with a tri-scar over his left eye. He flashed a big grin at Hawk-Eye's description.

"Well I'll be damned! It's Luffy!" Shanks exclaimed happily. All of Red-Haired Pirates lit up with joy at seeing Luffy's first wanted poster. "So you've finally started out Luffy…" Shanks said aloud.

* * *

(Fuschia Village)

Back in Luffy's hometown, the local villagers smiled and laughed at how the boy could make a wanted poster look a lot less threatening.

Makino smiled when she saw Luffy wearing Shanks' hat. She was sure that Luffy would go far in the world to accomplish his dream.

Mayor Woop Slap scolded the people for supporting the pirate, but Makino knew that he was happy for Luffy, even if he didn't show it. He was a stubborn old man, the mayor.

'_I wonder how Luffy is doing?'_ she thought.

* * *

The Straw-Hat crew had reached their island destination. It was filled with a lot of hustle and bustle and people were coming in and out of shops.

"Whoa! This place is huge!" exclaimed Luffy.

Usopp gaped in awe. "So this is the birthplace of Gold Roger."

"And the place of his execution." inputted Zoro.

Luffy puffed out his chest in a goofy attempt to look tough. "Yosh! I'm going to go see the execution scaffold!"

Hawkins decided to stay and guard the ship while examining his tarot cards.

Usopp wanted to get some new goggles as he remembered that they broke during his fight with Kuro.

Gin and Zoro decided to get new weapons of their caliber so they went in search of a local weapon shop.

Sanji probably needed more kitchen utensils and food. Just as he was about to head off, he was promptly yanked by his arm. He snapped his head in the direction of a red-head navigator tugging at his arm.

"N-Nami-san?" he stuttered surprisingly when he noticed a playful, mischievous grin on her adorable face.

"Gomen ne Sanji-kun, but you're going to help me shop for clothes!" Before the cook could say anything she pulled him away and went to the nearest clothing store, his cigarette nearly falling out of his mouth.

* * *

Zoro and Gin walked for a couple of minutes trying to find the weapon shop. Well, trying and failing since Zoro was the one leading the way.

"I'm telling you that we should just stop and ask for directions!" Gin argued.

"And I'm telling you we don't need directions!" Zoro countered. "If there's a weapon shop around here, we're bound to find it, so shut up!"

Gin scoffed "With your sense of direction, I'd rather take my chances with a blind man." he remarked.

Zoro rounded on him, his eyes flashed dangerously. "What'd you say?" he growled, preparing to unsheathe Wado from the scabbard. Gin prepared a fighting stance. Sparks of rivalry were shooting from their respective eyes and clashed with each other.

"You wanna fight?" challenged Gin.

Just as the swordsman and the helmsman were about to duke it out, they heard a commotion going on in the middle of a crowd nearby their location, disrupting their argument. They turned their attention to two pirates hassling a young woman with glasses, wielding a simple katana.

"You damn Marines put our boss in jail and now you're gonna pay!" said one ugly, lanky pirate.

"So we figured that if we kidnap you, we'd hold you ransom in exchange for our boss' freedom." threatened another fat ugly pirate with pigtails.

"Well, I'll be happy to take you on." the woman replied with no fear in her soft voice. The crowd of civilians surrounding them stood silent and scared.

As Zoro and Gin were about to step in, they were surprised when they saw her take them both down in one swift motion of fluidity from her sword. In one strike alone, the two pirates were down and out.

Gin was impressed while Zoro was heart-struck at the graceful woman's movement and how she handled her blade.

Of course, that moment passed when she tripped on her own two feet and fell face. The crowd laughed a bit at her klutziness and her calm façade was replaced with one of a clumsy high school girl.

"O-Oh dear, my glasses, where are my glasses?" the woman searched fervently all over the ground for her fallen spectacles.

Zoro found them and picked them up, then knelt down to the woman in front of him. Upon closer inspection he noticed the woman had indigo hair.

"Here are your glasses." he handed the young woman her glasses.

When the woman lifted her head to meet the person kind enough to retrieve them, Zoro froze.

The woman had the face of his long-dead female friend and rival, Kuina.

"Ah, arigato. Sorry, without my glasses I'm not as visually perceptive as the next person." she said with a nervous smile.

Zoro was still frozen on the spot. The Kuina look-alike stopped smiling and looked at the green-haired swordsman perplexingly.

"Uh, hello?" she waved her hand in front of his face a couple times. Gin groaned at this as he unclenched his comrade's fist to prevent from crushing the glasses.

To save face, and what's left of the swordsman's dignity, Gin lugged him over his shoulder while Zoro was playing dead weight. He was muttering something about 'beautiful ghosts' but it was pretty inaudible.

"Sorry about my comrade, he's currently suffering from an advanced case of retard syndrome."

The scruffy helmsman dragged Zoro along, leaving behind the confused woman.

"Smooth sword-boy, real smooth…" Gin said sarcastically.

* * *

Usopp was not happy right now. Why? Well, rewinding back a bit to the point where the crew split up in different directions of the town, the first thing he needed to get was new goggles, better than the ones he used to have. When he reached a small goggle shop, he found a pair of sniping goggles that would be perfect for him to see and aim at longer distances, which would be incredibly useful for him to use in upcoming battles in the Grand Line.

Or at least he _would_ have if it weren't for a rude, snot-nosed, 9-year old girl who swiped the purchase from him while he was searching for his wallet. After a brief, childish argument, the girl stuck her tongue out at him and ran off. Usopp chased after her and eventually caught up with her. After he demanded the goggles, demanding they were rightfully his since he was the one about to purchase them. However, when he was done scolding, the girl was brought to tears by his rant and started crying. Taken aback, Usopp tried to calm her down but to no avail.

It was then he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Not now, can't you see I'm trying to cheer up this bratty little girl?" he yelled, not looking at the person behind him.

"Do you mean my daughter?" replied the person behind him in a gruff voice. Usopp froze before slowly turning around, standing face-to-face with a man in a desperado cowboy get-up with large sideburns and a mustache-goatee combo. He did not look pleased that the sniper was harassing his precious little angel.

'_Oh crap…'_ Usopp cursed inwardly at his misfortune.

* * *

Sanji sat firmly in place in front of a privacy booth after Nami went behind the curtain, tossing a seductive wink his way. To be fair, he felt a bit hot under the collar. He had not expected a woman to just drag him to a clothing shop for women. And he did certainly _**not**_ expect that woman to be his crewmate.

Within a few moments, Nami came back out of the dressing room in her full hourglass glory, scantily clad and wearing a red, skimpy, two-piece bikini which revealed a lot of cleavage for her D-cup sized breasts. The bottom half seemed to be tied together as to give any potential suitor some perverted incentive. Nami posed like a high-fashion model by swinging and swaying her hips as to attract his undivided attention. She succeeded as the blonde chef sat in stunned silence and felt the heat rise up in his collar and felt his pants suddenly tighten.

He caught full view of her creamy, shiny and lightly-tanned skin with the exception of her chest and nether regions. Sanji swallowed thickly as Nami posed in an adorable fashion by placing her left index finger on her bottom lip and pouted cutely with her brown eyes shining.

"~ Ne, Sanji-kun, do I look nice? ~" she innocently asked.

The only response she got was a numb nod. Then her playful, cat-like nature reemerged as she strutted towards his frozen form and pecked him on the cheek.

Placing her mouth near his ear, she whispered, "Good, because I have several outfits I want to try on and I want your _honest_ opinion about them. Every. Single. One."

Though Sanji struggled to keep a calm façade on the outside, inside it took nearly all his willpower not to succumb to his lower instincts. His credo was never to harm or take advantage of women as they should be treated as goddesses from the heavens. He lived by that, as it was one of the only few things he had worth living for.

After several outfit changes, and some serious price-slashing due to Nami's haggling skils, the pair left the shop with several shopping bags carried by the blonde chef. Eventually they crossed paths with Usopp who seemed to be gathering a crowd around him and a mysterious middle-aged man in a desperado outfit. The pair walked up to the sniper, who had fierce determination in his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing Usopp?" Nami yelled.

Usopp ignored her. Instead, he focused on the challenge given to him by the famous bounty hunter in Loguetown, Daddy "The Father" Masterson. The challenge was to shoot a local street sign hanging from a local shop that was several kilometers away. An impossible shot for normal people but to Usopp it was a test of his marksmanship.

The challenge was set as Usopp pulled out his slingshot and readied a single pellet. He stretched the elastic band and aimed carefully at his target. The wind provided even more of a challenge for him as it blew strongly against the wooden sign, making it toss erratically and harder to aim.

Normally, a man would crack under the pressure, but Usopp kept his cool and relied on his instincts and his marksmanship skills to guide his aim.

Time slowed down as Usopp kept his eyes on the moving sign, anticipating sign's swaying direction. Finally, he saw an opportunity and took the shot. Once he released the pellet, it soared in a perfectly straight line. No one heard the impact considering they were at a distance from the target.

Tension filled the air for a moment before Masterson opted for his daughter to hand him the goggles. She begrudgingly accepted and passed it on to him.

The two marksmen stared each other down before the older man handed him the goggles.

"You win, Son of Yasopp." Masterson conceded.

Grabbing his rightful prize, Usopp kept his ferocity and spoke in a strong, confident voice, similar to when he fought Kuro, but there was no anger behind it, only pride.

"The name's Usopp! Remember it, because the whole world will know about a fearsome warrior who sailed the Grand Line!"

The spectators, i.e. a few denizens of Loguetown gaped in awe of the teen's boast. Some thought he was crazy, most of them however thought he would actually do it.

Nami was surprised by the bravado contrary to how she met Usopp before. Apparently, after he was killed by Kuro and miraculously came back from the dead, his attitude changed and he had been granted the same Conqueror Haki as Luffy.

Sanji eyed his crewmate with a curious stare before he caught view of someone in the crowd. An old man in his 80's wearing nothing but rags and had gray, curly eyebrows in the same as fashion as Sanji. His single eye widened when he immediately recognized him.

The old man quickly noticed Sanji looking back at him and quickly shuffled out of the crowd and walked away in a fast pace.

In a reflex, he dropped the bags carrying Nami's new clothes and ran after the old man. Usopp and Nami were startled and their attention was brought to the pirate chef who ran off all of a sudden.

"Sanji-kun! Where are you going?" she called out to him but no answer was given as his form had already disappeared. Nami suddenly felt a tinge of worry grip her heart at cook's action to run off urgently like his life depended on him.

Ever since she met him, she couldn't control the thumping of her heart and the uncontrollable heat that came with it. She knew how out of character this was for her to act like this since _she_ was the one who performed the charms and wiles to trick men into doing stuff for her. And now this cook that she had just met a week ago had already sent her spiraling into storm of love and lust; but mostly lust. Her thoughts trailed back to when Sanji protected her treasure from marines by beating them to a pulp with his legs and she rewarded him with a kiss on the lips. Since then, her body grew hotter when she was close to his proximity and it ached when she was apart from him. She nearly lost it back at the clothing store when she was so close to him and was nearly ready to jump his bones right then and there. Her physical need got so bad that the navigator eventually took up the habit of masturbating in her room at night, thinking of how she longed to be touched by the blonde chef.

Usopp's voice made her lose train of thought.

"Hey uh, Nami…? I don't want to interrupt your…whatever it is your dreaming about…" he gestured to the crimson blush across her face and her fidgeting legs. "But maybe we should head back to the ship."

Nami was suddenly brought back to Earth when she suddenly realized that a few of the spectators were staring at her flustered form.

Feeling the sense of embarrassment turn into rage, she rounded on the sniper, who stepped back a bit when he saw that murderous look women give men when they think they did something wrong but didn't know what they did wrong.

"What?"

Nami said nothing except shoved the bags onto Usopp and forced him to carry all of them while she stormed ahead of him.

Usopp let out an exasperated sigh. _'Women…'_ and followed her in step, leaving confused spectators before they went about their business.

But Nami's fury vanished when she felt the familiar chill up her spine that warned her that a storm was coming, and a big one at that.

* * *

Zoro regained his composure, but his pride as a man had been damaged significantly after that embarrassing moment when he encountered the Kuina-double.

"Damnit! How could I be so weak?" the swordsman berated himself for cracking under pressure and all because he saw the face of his dead female rival on the body of a woman. Gin trailed a few steps behind, smirking amusedly at Zoro as he had just witnessed his comrade's reputation as badass get knocked down a peg.

Zoro let out a frustrated groan. "I guess it can't be helped. I mean, it's uncanny at how much she looks like Kuina. And she's even a swordsman! Damn… I was weak…"

Gin began to laugh uproariously at his green-haired nakama, causing the swordsman to toss him glare over his shoulder.

"What?" Zoro asked, annoyed at Gin's taunting laughter.

When he paused, Gin spoke up again. "You've faced down against Mihawk and lived to tell about…But when it comes to women who can handle swords, you're like a deer caught in the headlights!" the helmsman finished while beginning to laugh uncontrollably.

Zoro's glare darkened. He turned to face the still laughing Gin and hoisted him roughly by the scruff of his shirt.

"Are you just asking me to help sign your death warrant?" he growled.

Gin ceased his laughter and raised a hand wordlessly telling Zoro to calm down.

"Before you even _**try**_ to kill me…" he then gestured his right index finger in the respective direction. "We're here…"

Zoro whipped his head in the direction Gin was referring to and went wide-eyed when they had finally found the weapon shop. Putting aside the conversation of Zoro's pride for the moment, the two pirates entered the shop.

Upon hearing the footsteps of new customers, a red-nosed, shifty-looking man with a ridiculous haircut came out from the behind a curtain separating the back room from the store with a faux smile of welcome.

"Ah...customers! Yes, yes please feel free to look around at our inventory of weaponry. Whether new or old, I'll buy and sell them for a reasonable price."

Zoro was the first to speak. He pulled out a couple of bills and placed them on the counter.

"I have 100,000 beli, that should be enough to buy two swords right?"

The shopkeeper's elated grin vanished instantly and was replaced with a disappointed frown. "Only 100,000 beli will get you a blunt sword and a rusted cleaver." he replied, dropping the nice act.

'_Damnit, Nami!'_ Zoro cursed the navigator for being so cheap.

The shopkeeper's eyes turned to Gin who was leaning against the wall. "And what do you want?"

Gin placed his tonfa on the counter next. "I need these repaired, with stronger material if possible. And make it quick." he said.

The proprietor took the tonfa in his hands and looked at them for a moment.

"I can have these repaired in 30 minutes for 400,000 beli."

Gin placed several bills in front of the shopkeeper, surprising Zoro.

"When the hell did you get that money?" he asked.

Gin shrugged. "I had some money saved up when I traveled with Krieg." he spoke the name of his former captain without formality or any amount of respect.

The swordsman glowered. _'Fuck…! I should've known better than to ask Nami for money!'_

The shopkeeper's stared uninterestingly at the two until Zoro's katana grabbed his attention. He went wide-eyed when he saw familiar white handle and scabbard.

'_That sword…could it be?'_

"Er..uh…could I see that katana you have sir?" he stammered, desperately trying and failing to keep calm.

Zoro shrugged, handing his most treasured keepsake to the odd-looking, little man. As soon as the sword was clutched in his grubby hands, he unsheathed the blade and gaped at it like a fan-boy geeking out a new comic. The blade he was examining was…

"Oh, Wow!" His thoughts were suddenly disturbed by a woman's gasp. Zoro was surprised to see the look-alike of his dead friend. _'Her again?'_

The woman promptly snatched the sword from the store owner and stared at it in utter amazement.

"This is _Wado Ichimonji __**(Straight Road of Harmony)**_, one of the 21 _Ō Wazamono __**(Great Grade Swords)**__! _It's really rare!" she commented highly on the blade.

Zoro raised an eyebrow at her mentioning of his sword's full name. He never bothered to ask his sensei what type of sword it was as he only interested in the fact that it was a keepsake from his deceased friend. Now he's hearing this sword he had been given to him is one of the rarest blades in the world.

The shopkeeper slammed his fist on the counter. "You idiot! Why'd you have to tell him that? Now you've ruined a perfectly good transaction! Get out before you put me out of business!"

The woman snapped out of her thoughts when owner began yelling at her. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry! Did I say something wrong?" she apologized.

The merchant pinched the bridge of his nose, letting more blood flow into his nose, making it a deeper shade of red.

"Never mind! Look you came to pick up your sword right? _Meito Shigure __**(Autumn Rain)**_? Here, take it and get out!" the merchant pulled out an ornate-designed sheathed sword and threw it to her, which caught her slightly off guard as she fumbled her catch and tripped backwards only to crash into a few sword barrels, spilling scattered blades all over the floor.

"Damnit, you klutzy girl!" the shopkeeper sputtered angrily, a large vein appearing on the top of his dome.

Gin snickered as he watched the girl clumsily gather her bearings. Zoro merely stared uninterestingly. That's when saw a katana that landed closest to his feet. As soon as he laid his eyes on it, he felt drawn to it for some unknown reason. He knelt down to pick it up and firmly grasped the hilt. Once he did, the blood in his arm went cold, but paid it no mind.

The shopkeeper's beady little eyes darted back to the green-haired swordsman only to widen to the size of dinner plates, his jaw dropping halfway to the floor and beads of sweat trickled down in every direction of his head.

The sword-fanatic noticed the sword as well and gasped in shock.

"That sword…!" she paused for a moment to pull out a small book from her pants pocket. She flipped through the pages before landing on a specific page matching the appearance of the sword Zoro was holding. "That's _Sandai Kitetsu__** (Kitetsu III)**_ one of the 50 _Wazamono __**(Grade Swords)**__!_"

Gin shrugged. "So?" he contested aloofly. The woman then rounded on the helmsman, disbelief written across her face.

"SO? This is a fine-grade sword that practically worth a million beli easy! So what is it doing in a barrel full of regular or used swords?"

Gin turned his grim gaze to the shopkeeper who was now sweating bullets. "Oi. Didn't you say that swords in this barrel are worth only 50,000 beli each?"

The sword proprietor shook under Gin's intimidating glare before responding. "Er…yeah?" he quietly muttered.

"Then purchasing it won't be a problem, right?"

The shopkeeper suddenly lost his cool. "No! Not that one! I can't sell that one!"

"And why's that?" Gin persisted.

"Because-!"

Zoro finished his sentence. "It's a cursed blade, isn't it?" he said.

The shopkeeper blinked. "You've heard of it?"

"No. I can just tell." He replied, not taking his eyes of the sword. It was truly a beautiful blade with a bluish flame that gave the impression of being forged by a demon blacksmith.

The shopkeeper gritted his teeth anxiously. "Well, you're right. The Kitetsu swords are all well-made sharp swords, but they're all cursed!"

Zoro, Gin and the woman said nothing before the man continued.

"You think you're the only one to hold that sword. Countless, famous swordsmen have died in the most horrific way possible, all because they wielded the Kitetsu swords. These days, no swordsman worth his pride would use those cursed swords. Of course, even if he did, he wouldn't stay in this world for very long. I'd get rid of the sword myself, but every time I get near it I feel an eerie chill in my bones and back away from it."

The blue-haired sword fanatic bowed and apologized. "Gomen nasai! I didn't realize it was such a dangerous sword on its own!"

"Now do you get how dangerous it is? I can't sell it and I can't get rid of rid of the damn thing? Hell, I'm already cursed just having it in my shop! Before that, I used to have hundreds of customers lining up to get swords so they could sail the Grand Line. But then, once I got my hands on this hellish blade, my luck changed; Customers stopped coming in because those damned marines came in and started ruining my business."

The woman frowned. "Marines protect people from bad guys." she argued.

The shopkeeper sneered. "Yeah, well I like bad guys. They kept this business running. Now I'm barely getting by. Pretty soon I'll have to shut down!"

He was about to say more when Zoro grinned devilishly and raised Kitetsu high in the right light.

"I like this sword! I'll take it!"

The woman looked at him like he was insane, Gin smirked, and the merchant gaped like a fish out of water. "Didn't you hear what I just said, you damned fool? If you wield that sword, you'll die!" His burly wife came up from behind and without warning smacked him upside the head.

"You're the fool! Just sell the damn thing and be rid of it!"

The shopkeeper whimpered from his wife's 'love tap'. "B-But honey…!"

Zoro interrupted them again. "Tell you what, how about my luck vs. the sword's curse. We'll see which one is stronger."

The shopkeeper and his wife blinked confusedly at the swordsman's statement until he threw the sword up into the air and extended his bandana covered arm out.

All the color drained from the merchant and his wife as well as the pupils from their eyes. They started wondering about whether this man had balls of brass or was he just plainly insane?

The blue-haired woman gasped as she made an attempt to stop him when a firm grip clasped on her shoulder held her in place. She abruptly turned her head to see it was Gin.

"What are you doing? Stop him from doing this! Aren't you his friend?" she yelled at the helmsman only to be silenced by his fearsome glare.

"It's exactly why he's my comrade that he needs to do this." he spoke with his usual gravely tone. "This isn't a matter of boasting or showing off. He's literally placing his ambition as a swordsman on the line. If it was a choice to do things by life's expectancies or death, he'd pick death any day of the week." he finished explaining to her.

Gin recalled the day Zoro fought Mihawk. He knew he would be no match for the master swordsman, but he still fought with everything he had, and as a result he managed to leave a cut on Mihawk. That's when he learned what the crew was about; putting their own lives on the line for their dreams. Now the question for him was; what was his dream?

The sound of the blade clang rang through the shop. All eyes were on the swordsman who appeared to have his arm still attached, and the sword sunk to the ground all the way up to the hilt.

Zoro grinned as he pulled out the blade. This time he could feel the sword had a different feel to it, similar to how he held Wado in his hands when he first held it. Kitetsu's curse had been broken and Zoro won, meaning the sword had chosen him as its master.

The shopkeeper could only stare gob-smacked at the man in front of him who recklessly cast aside his own mortality to prove his worth as a swordsman. Never had he seen such ambition in one man before.

"Like I said, I'll take it." said Zoro.

* * *

And that's Part 1 of the Loguetown arc. Sorry for the delay my loyal readers. Please bear with me. I suffer from constant procrastination and the occasional writer's block, but only because I feel like I want to put in a good effort of writing my ideas. Hopefully this new chapter will assuage you all while I work on Part 2, which _**will**_ come soon.


	14. Loguetown pt2

**One Piece: My Version**

Hey all you readers and writers out there! Sorry this was late, but I've suffered a bit of writer's block here and there which resulted in me being too lazy to write, but hopefully the next chapter won't take as long.

Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

Loguetown Part 2: Sailing Towards Our Dreams

Luffy stood at the center of town square, amazement evident on his face. He had been glued there for at least a good 10 minutes, but to him it felt timeless. His eyes were fixed onto a view of what he considered it to be a historical landmark; the gallows in town square where the legendary pirate, Gold Roger, the very first Pirate King, took life by its haunches and let his infamy spread across the world like wildfire. It was here that he made his declaration and challenge to the next generation by announcing that he had buried treasure hidden in 'that' supposed place. Of course, those who personally knew the Pirate King automatically knew what location he was speaking of. As for the rest of the populace, they merely spread rumors that the location of the treasure was in Raftel, which was also said to be the last stop in Grand Line.

Now Luffy didn't care if there was any treasure or not, although he knew that a certain navigator in his crew would probably contemplate castrating him otherwise if there happened to be an empty treasure chest with a note saying, _"The greatest treasure of all is freedom."_, then promptly barge into whatever afterlife Roger was in and throttle the Pirate King for all eternity.

He laughed to himself before continuing his thoughts. He didn't care about finding treasure, conquering the world or making a name for himself (the last part was actually a half-lie; he really wanted to). He simply believed that the person with the most freedom in this world should deserve the title of Pirate King.

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. _'I wonder if the view up top is just as cool?'_ he thought to himself. Naturally, Luffy being a young man whose natural curiosity went hand-in-hand with his mischievous nature, did what came naturally and climbed up to railings of the scaffolding.

* * *

(Back on the Going Merry)

Hawkins eyes were closed as he meditated on deck with several tarot cards spread out before him in a neat circle. His hand raised over them, Hawkins allowed the hand of fate to show him the next step in his journey. He felt his hand grasp one of the cards and opened his eyes to see what fate had in store for him.

The Wheel of Fortune: This card entailed luck and change. It symbolized a change that just happens and with it brings great joy.

All his young life spent as an acolyte, the mystic had not been one to defy or deny his fate created by a higher existence as that superpower always kept the universe running, thus satisfied with that answer. But when Hawkins had met Luffy, he honestly had no idea that he would be lumped in with a captain whose survivability would not reach zero, and a crew that manifested their own destiny. As such, he began to question his place here with his nakama as he felt like the black sheep of the bunch. Hawkins remembered how the hand of fate had deterred the Shadow of Death from claiming Usopp when he was run through by Kuro's blades and came back reborn anew. He also recalled the duel between Zoro and Mihawk, surprised that the Shadow of Death had not claimed him either. Hawkins continued to hold his endless stare on the card, he could not help wondering,_ 'What sort of impact will this crew have on the world?'_

Afterwards, he organized his cards and put them away in his coat pocket. No sooner than that, a strong gust of wind enveloped the ship and the waves began to crash heavily against it. Hawkins suddenly felt a dangerous presence approach the island. Ryoku raised his slightly above the water so as to not freak the locals and began to whine and whimper when he sensed a huge storm was coming.

Hawkins noticed the Sea-King's strange behavior. He saw trepidation and fear in those red eyes unlike any other animal when they sensed a storm, as if it knew what lied in that storm. Checking the cards for the fate of the crew's outcome, the survivability still did not reach zero.

"Interesting…"

* * *

The raggedy old man hobbled as fast as he could to get away from the blonde-haired young man who spotted him. He passed through crowd after crowd for a few minutes, until he cut around a corner to a back alley he recognized. Yes, soon he would be in his house and get some much needed rest for his aching body.

Eventually he had reached his residence which was a small shanty. He shakily reached for the handle, the suddenly paused. The old man turned halfway around to see Sanji leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and holding a piercing gaze to the old man.

The two shared moment of silence until the old man spoke up again. "Would you like to come in?" Sanji nodded and stepped inside the rundown abode. The pirate chef took a minute to analyze the interior: no windows, a leaky roof with a few crevices, the only bed available was a dirty mattress on the floor and lastly, the only pieces of furniture was a wooden table with two chairs and an old rusty stove with an equally rusty kettle on top brewing tea.

"I've prepared some tea if you're interested."

The blonde chef accepted his offer and put out his cigarette in the ashtray on his right-hand side. He sat in one of the chairs while waiting for the tea. After a few minutes, the teakettle whistled loudly signifying that the tea was ready. The old man handed him his cup and sat opposite from his guest as they both drank their tea silently. When they finished, the old man cleared off the table and sat back down, looking Sanji square in the eye (no pun intended).

"It's been too long Sanji…" said the old man.

It was then Sanji gartered a haunted look on his face and replied back, "Yes it has… grandfather."

The tension in the room rose for a few moments before the blond spoke again.

"Why did you run?" Sanji asked.

The old man released a weary sigh he didn't know how long he held as his weary eyes became interested in the ground, his hands clutching his knees despite the arthritic pains he was feeling in both areas. He tilted his head up slowly to face his one and only heir and spoke in a slightly raspy voice, "I couldn't bear to face you, not after everything that's happened." Tears slid down his wrinkled cheeks, his eyes showed nothing but pain and loss as he continued. "My poor old heart can't bear to withstand anymore torment."

"You know nothing of the torment I went through." Sanji replied with no emotion.

The elderly man let out a somnolent laugh, wiping away his tears. "Probably not." he said. "So why don't you tell me what your story and I'll tell you mine…" he paused, suddenly his demeanor changed to a more serious attitude. "And then… I'll reveal the truth to you…"

* * *

"Sugei!" Luffy yelled his excitement aloud, taking in the wonderful view from atop the gallows. The town was huge as he could see rows of buildings as far as the eye could see. But while the view itself was impressive, it wasn't what Luffy was interested in. He reveled in the fact that he was the first person in recorded history to stand in the same spot the Pirate King parted left this world with parting words to instill the Golden Age of Piracy.

"So this is what Gold Roger saw just before he died!"

His moment of happiness was cut short when the voice of the police chief blared over the megaphone. "Hey, you! Get down from there immediately!"

The scarred teen snapped out of his thoughts and looked down to see a group of policemen surrounding the scaffold. Luffy pointed to himself to see if they were acknowledging him.

"Who, me?" he asked innocently.

"Yes, you! Get down from there now!" the police chief replied.

"Why?"

"That is a special execution platform under the control of the World Government! Trespassing on it is illegal, so get down ri-" the officer was cut-off by a large, spiked club smashing the side of his head, sending him flying back into the crowd.

"~Ara~, don't by so mean ~Mr. Policeman~." The hooded assailant spoke with a sultry voice. Luffy turned his curious gaze to the crowd when he spotted the attacker with the female voice wearing a cowboy hat with a large red plume.

Throwing her cloak off, all of the townspeople present suddenly had hearts in their eyes as they were in the presence of possibly a new candidate for 'The Most Beautiful Woman in the World' title. They took in her full hourglass figure that most women would kill for and men would fall for, starting from her long, slender legs covered in her tight, red/white striped Capri pants to her slim, toned waist and finally to her open button-up purple coat revealing what most men were focusing on, her buxom, E-cup breasts barely supported by her white, spaghetti-strap, bikini top. Her face was perfectly sculpted, with her luscious ruby-red lips, her enchanting forest-green eyes and her long, wavy, ebony-colored hair that reached just past her shoulders. But the most noticeably and highly attractive trait that everyone had their eyes on was her smooth, shiny, porcelain skin that reflected the perfect amount of light from the sun; a true vision of beauty indeed. The policemen weren't even paying attention to their unconscious leader who was bleeding profusely from his facial wounds.

She peered up, and saw Luffy, making her smile, revealing her beautiful pearly whites.

"~Luffy~, it's been awhile! How have you been, I heard you've made quite a name for yourself." she spoke with lust and admiration in her eyes.

Naturally, in his oblivious and confused state of mind, Luffy asked, "Who are you?"

The woman smiled seductively, making a handful of men approximately close to where she was standing to suffer simultaneous nose-bleeds burst making them fall back onto the ground, their heart-shaped eyes still throbbing. Not noticing them, the woman spoke again. "Now don't tell me you don't remember this face."

Luffy scrunched his face in concentration as he wracked his brain trying to remember if he had met supermodel on his journey.

The mystery woman giggled amusedly when she saw his expression until he gave her a blank stare with half-lidded eyes.

The gears in Luffy's head turned and turned, but, "Yeah, I got nothin'." he said.

The woman smirked to herself before replying, "Well I never forgot about you." she raised her hand over her toned stomach and rubbed it lightly. "You were the first person to ever strike me, Luffy."

"Huh? I hit you lady?" he responded, still confused at the whole situation, not even caring that the vengeful glares of the townspeople in the square were directed at him when they heard that he struck this beautiful woman.

"Yes. And your powerful fist…" she spoke in a sensual voice. "…~was so hard~." The last part of her sentence had a sexual overtone to it as the crowd gasped and back up slightly, their enamored states returning full force.

Luffy just scratched the back of his head in awkward silence, thinking of a way to get out of his situation and back to the ship since he saw what he came to see.

Then the ravishing beauty spoke up again, this time her attention was to the crowd of people surrounding her. "Now tell me…who is the most beautiful woman in the world?"

All the townspeople got on one knee and gestured to her. "~YOU ARE~!"

She giggled once more. "That's right, I am. There isn't a man in the world that won't grovel at my feet. But I'm not interested in small-fries." she lifted a finger and pointed to Luffy the lust in her eyes ever-present. "I adore strong men, and you are in my sights, Monkey D. Luffy."

The straw-hat teen said nothing for a few seconds until he spoke again. "So…who are you…?"

"You still don't know?" she yelled, exasperated by this boy's sheer denseness.

Before the conversation could go any further, a resounding explosion from the public fountain occurred. Small, shattered pieces of stone were narrowly avoided by the people as they jumped out of the way from the path of falling debris. But one, large piece of the ornate fountain flew straight towards the woman, who just stood there calmly. People began crying out in fear of her becoming a bloody smear on the ground. Then something amazing happened…the piece just bounced or rather slipped off its intended target and went right past her and crashed into the corner of a building.

The people gasped as the woman was still standing, like nothing bad had happened to hear. There wasn't even a scratch on her flawless skin.

Luffy's eyes shot wide open in astonishment. "Whoa! What was that?" he yelled, greatly impressed by what he just witnessed.

Before his question could be answered a familiar cackling he had not heard since Orange Town reached his ears.

"Don't bother with him Alvida. He isn't going to do much remembering except in the afterlife!"

Luffy had a flashback of while looking out for the obese ogress. "Alvida? Where is she?" he asked

"IT'S OBVIOUSLY ME YOU IDIOT!" the attractive woman yelled, her face comically changing to angry, white eyes and sharp teeth.

Luffy looked back down at the woman in front and was taken aback at her revealed identity. "_You're_ Alvida?" his expression of disbelief did not go unnoticed. "You look kinda different." he said, scratching his head and chin in thought and his brows furrowed.

She regained composure once more before speaking, "Ah, yes I'm glad you noticed. I ate the Devil Fruit and transformed." adding emphasis to her transformation by swaying her hips to one side and protruding her ample bosom which made more of the male half of the crowd suffer explosive nosebleeds. "I ate the Sube-Sube no Mi(Slip-Slip Fruit) and now I not only have the most beautiful-looking skin, it cannot be marred by any attack or blemish at all! Sadly, my beauty was barely enhanced aside from my freckles sliding right off."

Luffy sweat-dropped at her narcissistic attitude when he found fault in her logic while murmuring quietly, "I don't think that was the change I was thinking of."

"DAMNIT, STOP IGNORING ME, YOU SHITTY-GOMU!" everyone's attention turned to the hooded man with the large red nose giving away his disguise.

Luffy noticed it right away. "Oh, it's you Buggy. How've you been?" he asked in a casual-friendly tone.

Buggy's anger suddenly faded and replied politely. "Oh, I've been alright...went on quite an adventure to find my limbs and rejoin my-" the pirate-clown made an awkward pause before his anger came back full force. "DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT STRAW HAT!" he roared, smoke was practically coming out of his ears. "OH, SCREW THIS!"

Buggy and several cloaked figures behind him threw off their cloaks and posed in a very strange formation. "I've dreamed of nothing but killing you in the most flashily way possible to get my revenge against you for humiliating me in Orange Town! That resolve alone gave me the strength that I needed to get back to my crew!" he said with a malicious grin.

As Buggy continued with his rant, Luffy paid more looked at the new and improved Alvida before giving her a wide, toothy grin. The woman noticed his stare was on her and blew a kiss in his direction.

"Okay, Alvida. You can join my crew!" he told her.

* * *

(Meanwhile)

At Loguetown's Marine base, sat a man with white hair in his mid-30's sat in his quarters, smoking two cigars at once, stacking a bunch of rocks as a means of disciplining his mind. He had been reassigned from his base in Grand Line to small, but historically important island-town in the East Blue. Apparently, the Fleet Admiral needed a Marine with skills and experience from the Grand Line to stop pirates in their tracks when they are about to reach the entrance to Grand Line. This was the duty he was the duty he was charged with and he upheld it naturally, but not because of some higher ups in the chain of command, but because he upheld his own brand of 'justice'; to catch those who willingly and deliberately break the law and harm the innocent.

"Captain Smoker!" a marine foot-soldier yelled just before bursting into his quarters, causing the pile of rocks to topple and clatter to the floor.

The marine captain's expression was a stony, hard gaze that came from years of experience from fighting and capturing pirates on the Grand Line. His subordinates never dared questioned his authority in fear of being severely punished.

"What is it?" he spoke in a gruff voice that held slight irritation for his soldier's outburst, his hard gaze now on the foot soldier who was sweating quite a bit.

The grunt gulped in fear before giving his report. "We've just received word that the rookie-pirate Monkey D. Luffy is causing a ruckus in town square!"

Smoker blew out an abnormally large puff of tobacco. His stern expression never leaving his face, he put on his white, fur-rimmed Marine jacket that had the kanji symbol of 'Justice' on the back and a large jutte strapped to it. He opted to exit out of his office, but not before his blue-haired second in command came rushing in, or rather _falling_ in. (Get it? _Falling in_?)

Straightening herself up, she saluted her superior officer.

"Reporting for duty, Captain Smoker!" she said.

Smoker growled in annoyance. "Tashigi… How many times have I told you to show up on time?" he yelled at his subordinate

Tashigi cringed slightly at her captain's scathing tone before answering, "Ah, S-Sumimasen! I ran into a couple of low-life pirates and then I went to pick up my sword." she explained to her superior, hopefully to quell his anger. The white-haired man merely scoffed and headed out with the petty officer trailing behind him.

"Well shape up, sergeant! We're going after a rookie pirate-captain by the name of Monkey D. Luffy."

* * *

Sanji's stood up while his uncovered eye involuntarily twitched with unbridled rage to the horrific truth that his grandfather had just revealed to him. His arms were at his sides shaking violently with clenched fists. The elderly man held his gaze to the ground as to not let his only grandchild see the pain on his face from reliving memories of the past.

There was a tense silence in the air between them before Sanji spoke up.

"All this time… our home, our island, our people, our _**family**_ were needlessly taken from me because of this?" Sanji gritted his teeth, his voice seething with rediscovered hatred.

The old man held back tears and nodded. "Yes…" he said before he began coughing violently, each one sounding worse by the minute. The old man lost all feeling in the lower half of his body and dropped to the floor.

Sanji snapped out of his thoughts when he saw his grandfather on the ground in pain. He rushed to his side and helped him up. He carefully shuffled him over to his bed and placed his grandfather on the bed of hay. His eye widened a bit when he noticed a lot of blood coating the old man's beard. He was dying.

Once the old man stopped coughing, he opened his eyes to see his grandson kneeling beside him, concerned for his health.

"Don't talk, you need to rest." said Sanji.

But the elderly man shook his head sadly indicating his grandson's futile efforts to stall the grim reaper. "Don't worry about me Sanji, I'm already dead inside. I'll let God judge me accordingly. But the one thing I regret, is not finding you sooner Sanji." The old man wheezed a bit louder before continuing. "Sanji, underneath the floorboards there is a gift I want you to have."

Sanji looked over the floorboards and noticed one was tad looser than the rest so it easily slid out from its place. Sanji pulled a long object wrapped in a dusty, white sheet. He slowly removed it and discovered that it was actually a pair of beautifully ornate sabers in black scabbards. The handles were made of pure gold shaped into the form of angry-looking snakes with their mouths hinged all the way out. He unsheathed the blades, surprised by the weightlessness of them and looked upon the stainless metal with a tint of green color. He gave them a swing he could hear the sound of the swords slicing the air so smoothly.

"This is…" Sanji said.

"_**Kairoseki**_(Sea-Stone)…" the elderly man interjected before coughing a bit. "These swords are our family heirlooms, forged purely from Sea-Stone by the legendary blacksmith, Muramasa. They are one of the greatest swords in existence because they are the only pair of blades that do not rust or tear from excessive use. The name of the swords are _**Hebi no Shikon**_(The Serpent Fangs)."

Sanji put the swords aside for a moment before going back to the ailing old man, whose condition worsened with every hack and wheeze. "Why give these to me?" he asked after his grandfather's breathing lessened a bit. The elder shakily raised his wrinkled hand and placed it on his grandson's shoulder, clutching at his collar with his remaining strength.

"Because you…are the only one…who sees the World Government for what it is…and the lines they'll cross to make their laws absolute." he coughed in violent gasps, struggling to take his last breath while the tears flowed freely down his face. "I don't know where your path will lead to, but…all I ask of you is…"

"Avenge us…Sanji…"

And with that his grandfather breathed his last choked whisper before his hand relinquished its grip and fell limply at his side, his weary eyes closing for the final time. The blond chef stayed quiet for a long period of time before the initial shock wore off and was replaced with anger. His hands clutched gripped one of his newly acquired swords tightly before his entire body trembled with rage.

The World Government and the Marines had taken everything from him when he was just a child, and the things they performed on him afterwards were abominable. For the past decade he had nothing but countless nightmares of his home and family destroyed mercilessly and in those dreams he could see the Marines and World Government officials mocking him. But no more, for this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Now things were different for Sanji: he had the skills and now the tools to fulfill his desire and his grandfather's, no, his family's plea.

He took up his swords and tied the scabbards to the sides of his waist as he silently walked out of the hut with a heart full of vengeance. No cry of outrage uttered from him, only a single dark-red glare could be seen from his shadowed expression.

Thunder could be heard from the gathered storm clouds…and with it a silent wrath.

* * *

Nami and Usopp ran as fast as they could to get back to the Going Merry. The rain poured heavily down upon their heads. Soon they crossed paths with Gin and Zoro.

"Gin, Zoro!" Nami called out to them, getting their attention.

"Oh, hey you guys." Zoro greeted nonchalantly.

"Where were you guys?" exclaimed Usopp.

Zoro opened his mouth to explain but Gin cut him off. "Sword-boy here was busy trying to score with some sword-enthusiast chick." he spoke with a smug grin.

The swordsman glowered at the helmsman, threatening to unsheathe his swords, but the red-haired navigator prevented the fight.

"Where's Luffy?" she asked.

They both shrugged nonchalantly. "Dunno." they said in unison.

"Well, where's Sanji-kun?" she asked again.

"Dunno."

By that time her temper started to flare as a dangerous aura surrounded her. "Well go and find him! And so help me, if you two come up empty-handed, **I WILL FEED YOU BOTH TO RYOKU!**" she roared, her fangs snarling viciously. Not wanting to piss off Nami any further, Gin and Zoro made a turnaround and ran to the location Luffy was going to be in, the gallows.

* * *

That same moment, Alvida had just finished taking care of Buggy and his crew. Each one lay bloodied and broken from her weapon. It was _**painfully**_ obvious that the Devil Fruit did not tamper with her brute strength. Now she was both beautiful and deadly.

She made her way up the scaffolding to meet Luffy, who greeted her with his usual large grin. She winked flirtatiously in return and asked, "What now my captain?" Before the straw hat wearing teen could answer, Buggy regained consciousness.

"Straw Hat…you bastard! Alvida…you traitor!" he seethed. "I WILL HUNT YOU BOTH DOWN 'TILL THE ENDS OF-" Buggy didn't get to say anymore as a blast of Luffy's Haki hit him and he dropped to ground. His eyes rolled back and mouth frothing.

Alvida nearly fainted when she felt a small wave of power radiate from him. It was as if it signified that Luffy was the alpha male. She swooned with delight when she made an excellent choice in joining up against a strong man like Luffy.

Once the clown was out, the scarred teen faced the ever-growing crowd. During the entire ordeal, he began to recap the range of emotions shifting back and forth on the people's faces. All the commotion that had taken place here for the past half-hour or so had brought in more people to see what was going on. At first it was Alvida who had gotten their attention with her new looks, then Buggy and his men had the people in a state of panic when they threatened their lives, which soon ended when the crowd nearly lost it after Alvida gracefully handled her mace and decimated the entire crew, the pirate-clown included. But as much as Luffy held back on his power of authority to silence Buggy, it was enough to send a thoughtless command through every townsperson's mind, letting them know that Luffy had the floor. The crowd went silent, listening intently on what he was going to say.

Luffy took a deep breath through flared nostrils and began, "To those who think dreams are unattainable or are impossible to achieve, then they obviously haven't even made an effort to take the first step." he paused for a moment as his eyes darted from side-to-side making sure everyone was paying attention before continuing without delay in his speech. "Do you all know what dreams are? They are born from the desire and natural curiosity to see it come true. But right now, I see a lot of fear and doubt in everyone's eyes. I bet you're all thinking that it's impossible to go the distance because you're afraid of failure. I can tell you right now, that those are nothing but a bunch of stupid excuses! Dreams aren't something you choose because they're easy to fulfill; they're something that you hope for just so you can see it come true. Doesn't anyone have any dreams they wanna see come true?" he yelled the last sentence, a crack of lightning and thunder emphasizing his resolve.

The crowd stood in shock and awe when Luffy's words were directed at them.

In a nearby balcony set across from the town square, Smoker narrowed his eyes at the young pirate after hearing his speech, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia from his childhood when he heard Straw Hat's speech. Tashigi stood by him listening to the speech as well, while a small squadron of marine foot soldiers stood back waiting for their captain's orders.

No one uttered a word in response until an average-looking guy raised his hand high, getting everyone's attention, "I-I always wanted to sail the seas." he spoke with a little trepidation in his voice.

All eyes were on him until Luffy spoke up again. "Why don't you?"

The man tried to think up an excuse but then his shoulders slumped in defeat and gave his honest answer. "I'm afraid." he replied, feeling even lower. But then the next question surprised him.

"Why do you want to sail the seas?"

The civilian recovered from his initial shock and answered a bit more confidently than before. "I want to become an explorer!"

The crowd's tension lowered significantly before another person raised their hand and shouted, "I want to be a historian so I can pass on the true records of history to the next generation!"

"I wanna be a chef!" cried another.

"I want to own a successful bookstore!"

Suddenly, more and more people began raising their hands shouting out their dreams. Some wanted the same thing but they didn't care, they just felt proud of themselves for saying it. They could feel a sense of courage burning in the pits of their stomachs.

When they finished, Luffy gave them each a small grin and spread his arms out. The townspeople's chatter quieted down.

"So now do you understand? Dreams aren't about what you _**can**_ do, it's about what you _**want **_to do! Then do your absolute hardest to try and accomplish it! So long as humans have free will and the ability to dream, anything is possible in this world. For me, I seek to become a person with the most freedom!" he exclaimed with the largest death-defying grin possible.

Smoker's eyes widened. _'He smiled with no regret or worry!'_

Luffy took in a deep breath before making his declaration, "I'LL DEFINITELY BECOME THE PIRATE KING!"

The spectators looked up with unshed tears of happiness, not even noticing the rain had drenched them completely. This young man stood proudly before them and inspired them to go raise their heads high and live life how they wanted to by accomplishing their dreams. He had an air of confidence around him that convinced them that he would actually be able to fulfill his dream.

Alvida smiled and clapped at Luffy's proclamation. Others soon joined in and evolved into full-blown applause and cheers. The people laughed wildly and danced in the rain, unsure why they felt the need, but couldn't suppress their outbursts.

Luffy turned his towards Alvida, his former enemy/nakama, and extended a hand to her, his grin not leaving his face, and she graciously accepted. The young pirate teen quickly pulled her up into a makeshift piggy-back ride with one stretched arm which resulted in Luffy's hand firmly planted on her newly, rotund and toned butt.

'_~Ahn~! ~Luffy~!"_ Alvida moaned lightly at the rough touch as a tint of red heated up her cheeks. But unfortunately, Luffy being completely dense thought nothing of it and shot another outstretched hand all the way across the square until his hand grappled the edge of the roof on the third building down.

"Hang on! **Gomu-Gomu no…Rocket!**" and they launched over the cheering crowd as he bade them a fond farewell.

Smoker was lost in thought on what just happened. _'He managed to make the people laugh and cry with joy. He's won the hearts of the people!'_

Tashigi called his attention snapping him out of his stupor. "Captain Smoker! The Buggy Pirates are still on the loose! What are your orders?" she asked.

Smoker's eyebrows scrunched further before addressing his subordinate. "You and the rest of the second squadron go down and arrest the Buggy Pirates! Straw Hat couldn't have gone far! He went west so that must be where his ship and the rest of his crew might be! Contact the base for reinforcements and relay orders to cut him off!"

"Yes sir!"

Smoker stormed off ahead, feeling the dreaded sense of déjà vu. _'Twenty-Two years ago, another man inspired a large of group of people from that spot, laughing in the face of death with no fear! As a result of that… The Golden Age of Piracy happened! I cannot allow Straw Hat Luffy to go out to sea! I'll put both my reputation and title as "The White Hunter" at stake if it means not letting him and his crew leave this island!"_

* * *

Back on the Going Merry, Hawkins felt another disturbance in his meditation. This time, he could feel more dark emotions pouring out from it. The source came from Sanji; the darkness within him had intensified and encompassed his heart since the crew had encountered him on the Baratie. From what Hawkins could surmise, something or someone caused a breaking point and now it seemed to fuel the emotionally distant cook with nothing but anger and hatred.

It was at that moment that he felt the presence of several voices vanish one by one. Their bloodcurdling screams could only be heard before they were silenced forever.

His concentration broke when he heard the sound of mad grumbling. Hawkins walked over and leaned a bit over the railing. The sight alone made him feel a tinge of amusement, though he did not show it; it was an oddly dressed man wearing a hat with bunny ears on top, a white lion's mane that covered his upper body, and to top it off, a pair of animal slippers. Beside him was a lion with a purple mane with a headlight tied to his head.

"Damnit! Where'd all this rain come from? It was nice and sunny 5 minutes ago!" Mohji cried desperately, Ritchie gave a growl in agreement, while thinking of eating a plate of meat. "This is bad Ritchie! What're we gonna tell Captain Buggy when he finds out that we failed to burn the ship because of a stupid storm that appeared out of nowhere?" he yelled out to the stormy sky.

"Why not tell him that you have a flight to catch?"

The so-called beast tamer and his lion tilted their heads up and saw an unfamiliar addition to the Straw-Hat crew. "Who are you?" asked Mohji. But instead of responding, Hawkins lifted the two up with ease using his powers and tossed them away until they were out of sight.

That same moment, Hawkins saw Nami and Usopp carrying several bags while running up the deck to the ship until they were onboard.

"Hawkins, prep the sails but don't set off just yet, we need to wait for the others." ordered Nami. Hawkins nodded and rushed to the mast and hurriedly climbed up to the crow's nest and untied the ropes, letting the mainsail unfold and unfurl as the winds blew ferociously from behind.

"Usopp, any sign of Luffy or Sanji-kun?" she yelled.

The sniper leaned over the railing, using his new goggles to enhance his line of sight and get a more detailed view of the area despite the harsh weather conditions. He looked for any sign of the captain or the cook, but sadly could not seem to find them.

Usopp was about to give Nami his answer until he saw a black shape walking towards the ship. The sniper magnified his view and saw Sanji.

"Oi, Nami! It's Sanji, he's back!" At the mention of the cook, Nami rushed over to where Usopp was standing, nearly bowling him over in the process, and used a telescope to see if what Usopp was saying was true. Nami smiled broadly at the sight of the returning chef and waved, "Sanji-kun!" she called out to him. Sanji walked slowly up the railing to the ship, his head lowered, and his eyes shadowed. Nami's smile was replaced with a look of concern as she slowly approached him, taking note of the swords strapped to his sides. "Sanji-kun? Are you okay?"

Sanji lifted his head and gave her an eerily polite smile.

"Oh, I'm just fine Nami-san." he replied calmly.

* * *

Luffy laughed as the pair smoothly hit the ground. "Shishishi, Looks like we got away ok." he said while taking Alvida off his shoulders to let her stand.

Alvida was slightly disappointed that the piggyback ride had to end, but was bemused by her captain's optimistic attitude. He seemed to be the type that was mostly hardheaded and jumps into the fray at the first sign of danger.

She broke out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps rushing behind them. Alvida wondered if it was more marine foot soldiers coming after them, but saw Luffy relax when they both saw a scruffy-looking helmsman and a green-haired santoryu user.

Luffy resumed his guffawing when he saw his comrades. "Hey Gin, Zoro, where've you guys been?"

His answer came with a punch and tonfa to the head, resounding with comedic sound effects.

Zoro and Gin were glaring at their idiot captain's still form for a few seconds before he snapped back up rubbing his ailing head.

"Maa, that hurt! What'd you guys do that for?" Luffy whined.

"FOR MAKING NAMI FORCE US TO HAUL YOUR ASS BACK TO THE SHIP!" they both roared.

Luffy blinked a few times before responding. "Sorry."

Before they could berate the captain any further, Alvida let out an amused giggle at the comical scene before her. This gained the attention of both Zoro and Gin, as they turned their attention to her for a few seconds then back to their captain.

"Who's the chick?" asked Zoro.

Luffy smiled brightly. "This is Alvida. She's a pirate that I beat up when I started out."

The two looked at him like he had just grown a second head and looked back at the stunning beauty and nearly face-faulted when they heard the next words come out of Luffy's mouth.

"She's joining our crew!" he proclaimed.

Before either of them could interject, a familiar woman called out Zoro's name.

"RORONOA ZORO!"

The group turned their attention to a blue-haired Marine woman standing before them, glaring intently at the swordsman.

Gin smirked. "Hey Zoro, your girlfriend's back." Zoro tossed him a glare before facing Tashigi.

"Oh hey, you're that girl from the sword shop right?" said Zoro.

"You never told me you were a pirate!" she argued. "How dare you deceive me and use Wado Ichimonji for evil?" she yelled disdainfully.

"Well you never told me you were in the Marines, so I think that makes us even don't you think?" he told her.

Tashigi unsheathed her sword and got into a kendo stance.

"I'm going to take that sword away from you, Pirate-Hunter Zoro!"

Zoro smirked devilishly before unsheathing Wado. "Go ahead and try." he turned to look at the others and said, "I got this, you guys go on ahead and I'll catch up!" he told them.

Luffy nodded, and ran ahead with off the others. Alvida called for his attention, "Luffy, was that really Pirate-Hunter Zoro?" she asked curiously, to which Luffy grinned.

"Yep, he's my first-mate!" he told her.

Alvida's eyes widened in disbelief as she began to think what kind of crew Luffy had made since their last encounter.

* * *

The swordfight between Zoro and Tashigi did not last long for his monstrous strength and skill with multiple swords outweighed her standard sword style. Tashigi lost her handle on her own blade as Zoro disarmed her with but a flick of his wrist.

Having pinned her against a stone wall, Zoro smirked, "I win." he said. He sheathed his swords and walked away, leaving her in the slumped in the rain.

"Why don't you finish me off?" she asked, making the green swordsman halt in step and look over his shoulder back to her.

"Is it because I'm a woman? She yelled.

That struck a chord in Zoro's memory as he recalled nostalgic memories of his childhood friend.

"A woman may not be as strong as a man, but to go easy on me is an insult! I don't carry a sword around for looks you know!"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP?" roared Zoro.

"Eh..?" Tashigi uttered, taken aback by the pirate-hunter's outrage.

"I can't stand you!" Zoro pointed his finger at her face, "You have the exact same face as a friend of mine who died years ago, and now here you are mimicking her personality by saying exactly what she used to say!" he yelled.

"N-Nani…?" she screamed.

The entire second squadron of Marine soldiers sweat-dropped as the argument went back and forth between their superior officer and the pirate-hunter which turned into a comedy routine.

* * *

Luffy and the others were just about to make it until a white-haired man on a large motorcycle was blocking their way.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me!" Gin yelled, annoyed.

Smoker's steel gaze fell on Luffy.

"So you're Straw Hat Luffy." he said.

Luffy blinked. "Yeah, and who are you?"

"The name's Smoker. I'm the captain of Loguetown's Marine base. I'm in charge of making sure that no pirate ever escapes from this island, including you and your crew."

Luffy gave him a challenging smirk before responding, "Okay." He cracked his knuckles, before turning to Gin and Alvida.

"You two go on, I'll take care of this." he said to them. The other two nodded and ran past Smoker, who didn't make an attempt at capturing them.

"You do realize that once I defeat you I'll be going after your crew next."

Luffy executed a fighting stance, all the while smiling. "See that's where you're wrong. You seem to be confusing me with an ordinary, run-of-the-mill pirate. But the only one walking out of this fight is gonna be me, smokestack!"

At that moment, Smoker gathered white smoke coming from his entire being revealing his Logia Devil-Fruit power, the Moku-Moku no Mi(Plume-Plume Fruit).

"Then show me if you've got the strength to back up your words, Straw Hat!" he roared and jetted forward at high speeds.

Luffy held his guard up as Smoker was speeding towards him and immediately sensed his enemy's movement. In the midst of time slowing down, Luffy could see Smoker's attack behind the mess of smoke and saw him wielding a large jutte that shined at the tip.

'_Hmm, Sea-Stone, huh?'_

Not wasting any time, Luffy shifted his entire body to the right, allowing him to find an opening and give hard kick into Smoker's abdomen. The result of that attack launched the marine through several houses before resounding in a large crash.

Luffy could tell that the fight had only begun when Smoker reappeared moments later after reconstructing himself from wisps of smoke. He was now sporting a red sandal imprint on his stomach.

Blowing a few puffs from his cigars Smoker said, "I guess the rumors about you using Haki are true, but I doubt that you have the power of _**two**_ Devil Fruits."

Luffy smirked as he activated his darkness powers, raising a hand and pointing it at Smoker. **"Kurozu!"** The marine captain was taken by surprise and off-guard as a powerful force raised him slightly off-ground and was pulled into Luffy's dark hand as it clasped on top of his shoulder. Smoker tried to activate his powers but to his shock, he discovered that he couldn't. _'What the hell? A Devil Fruit user that can cancel out another's powers? Impossible!'_ Smoker thought.

"Well… I guess I'm the exception then aren't I?" Luffy retorted.

Smoker's thoughts were broken when he felt a punch land into his stomach; the only difference was that this boy's attack proved to be more effective as he felt that similar gravitational force that involuntarily pulled him digging into his entire torso. It felt like a getting hit by one of Vice-Admiral Garp's 'warm-up' punches.

The force of the blow nearly made all the air in his lungs and diaphragm knock right out of him, making his cigars drop out of his mouth and cough up a few blotches of blood at the same time as Smoker was sent flying back until he hit the side of his motorcycle, making it tip over and the marine tumbling over the floor.

Smoker shakily got up onto his feet, still getting over the after effects of Luffy's heavy, gravity-punch.

'_This rookie is holding back I can tell!'_ he thought angrily, _'But I'm still not letting him get past me! If I can't win by conventional means then I'll try a little strategy.'_

He dispersed into small streams of smoke and made a beeline towards Luffy. But the wisps did not strike the rubber-man; instead, they began circling around him and transformed into a large spiraling column of smoke with no way out.

"**White Vine!"**

Luffy had his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Sensing a Logia-type while they were in their intangible forms were a bit tricky as having no physical form can make it very difficult to use his Observation Haki. Thankfully, he recalled what his father had said when he trained both him and his brother a trick he developed that made the situation a lot easier.

* * *

_Flashback_

'_Remember this boys, when crossing paths with a Logia-type, you can't just focus on your opponent's movements like you would against a regular enemy, because the difference is that they can activate their intangibility which compromises their physical form and masks their presence within their element. However, that does not necessarily mean that they cannot be overcome, for there is another way to use Kenbunshoku Haki. Now the question remains, how do you find an enemy that can disappear into thin air? The answer is…the air itself. The key is to focus on the air that surrounds you and being able to notice a certain 'shift'. And that will be your moment to strike.'_

* * *

Using Kenbunshoku Haki, Luffy focused his power, this time toward his surroundings. The rubber-man could instantly feel and hear the rain and wind around him. Now all there was left to do was to wait patiently sense the 'shift' in the air. Much to the Luffy's fortune and Smoker's chagrin, his smoke-related powers created a huge change in the air, making him an open target and his presence made known.

"You won't escape from me, Straw Hat! Take this! **White Spark!**" several large tubes of smoke from within the column burst forth and jetted towards their intended target.

Time slowed down once more as Luffy remained glued to the spot, cool as a cucumber until he took in a deep breath of air. His cheeks puffed out and his entire torso inflated like a Haki-coated balloon.

"**Gomu-Gomu no Fusen (Gum-Gum Balloon)!"**

Luffy's defensive measure proved to be effective when Smoker's attack rebounded and just as quickly as his attack dispersed so did the plume surrounding the young pirate. When the smoke cleared, Smoker stood panting heavily. A trickle of blood flowed from a gash in his right temple, down past his tightly closed eye. Luffy felt a surge of pride when he saw Smoker's damaged form that resulted in the rebound of the attack.

"I see…" Smoker tried to speak while catching his breath. "So there's more to you than meets the eye, eh?"

Luffy blankly stared at him before fastening his hat with one hand and made a turn to leave. But Smoker wouldn't allow that. He used his fruit powers to appear directly in front of him, preventing his escape.

"The fight's over… You know you can't win against me as you are." Luffy spoke.

"This fight will end only when I defeat you and bring you in." replied Smoker, his voice steeled with resolve.

Smoker's harsh glare did nothing to break Luffy's calm. But just before he could do anything else, the sound of harsh buzzing reached his ears and he felt a small vibration in his left shoulder pocket. Without taking his eyes off his enemy, he reached in and pulled out his standard issued Baby Transponder Snail.

He held down on the transmitter and spoke. "What is it?"

The voice of second squadron's leader rang. "Sir, we've followed your orders and Buggy Pirates have been arrested…" he paused.

"But..?" Smoker assumed there would be complications given today's hectic circumstances.

"Well… We contacted the base for reinforcements but no one's answering, it's just static. Maybe it's this storm? It's like we're in some tropical storm or a hurricane." he said.

Smoker refused to accept that. These transponder snails were designed by Vegapunk to carry out and receive transmission signals clearly, no matter how harsh the weather conditions were.

"Take Buggy and his crew to be processed before shipping them off, then return to base. I'll be there shortly."

"Yes sir." the soldier answered back, ending the transmission.

Smoker lowered his arms to his sides, still keeping a locking stare on Luffy before walking over to his motorbike and flipped it back up on its wheels. He climbed up on it and looked over at the young pirate again.

"Mark my words Straw Hat Luffy, I will find hunt you and your crew down until the ends of the earth and bring you to justice."

Revving up his motorbike, he rode off, heading back to base.

Now that Luffy had taken care of business, he made a turn to leave until a familiar voice rang through his ears.

"I'd say you handled the situation quite well, Luffy." spoke a deep, mighty voice.

Luffy stopped to look up to one of the houses to see a cloaked figure and smiled widely. "You taught me well…tousan."

The lightning crashed revealing that same grim, tattooed face sporting a proud smirk.

"So why are you here?" asked Luffy.

"Do I need a reason to see my youngest son off to go and follow his dreams? I heard your speech back in the town square, Luffy. I couldn't be prouder." confirmed Dragon.

"Thanks tousan." Luffy grinned wholeheartedly.

Their conversation was cut short when the rubber-pirate heard Zoro yell out his name trying to find him.

"It's time…" said Luffy.

"Indeed." Dragon agreed. "You're a man now my son. You and your brother will go far in this world representing the true freedom all on your own terms, which is why I ask you to give me your bracelet."

Luffy nodded and slipped off the black bracelet/transponder snail, and tossed it to his father.

"I gave you this bracelet to communicate with you for two things; to record your journey up until this point and to give you information on getting your ship. Coincidentally, Merry volunteered to give his ship to you should you two meet." Dragon explained. "From here on out, you must carve your own path and be ready to endure what this life throws at you."

Luffy smirked. "You don't even have to tell me that, dad. I want to see the rest of this world with my own two eyes and share them with my crew. That's what makes the adventure worth exploring, right?"

Dragon chuckled softly. "I had a feeling you would say that, my son." and just as quick as he appeared, he vanished from sight, leaving Luffy on his own until Zoro finally caught up with him.

"Let's get going, captain."

Luffy grinned from ear to ear and continued running west with his first-mate.

Up on the high-tower, Dragon spread his arms forth embracing the winds of change.

"Go forth my sons, realize your dreams and bring this world out from the darkness."

* * *

As Gin and Alvida were nearing the docks, Alvida raised a question.

"So, what can I expect from being a part of the Straw-Hat crew?" she asked jovially.

Gin answered her in serious tone. "Don't think that just because you have the captain's 'ok' doesn't mean you have the rest of the crew's approval. You'll have deal with us when you board on deck, so be prepared. And if you try anything, consider yourself Sea-King meat."

Alvida just smiled flirtatiously. "I should be lucky as meet such strong men like you to take care of little ol' me."

The grimly helmsman scoffed, ignoring the slight blush from his cheeks.

"Oi!"

Both their heads turned to see Luffy and Zoro coming up behind them.

"What took you guys so long?" Gin told them.

"Shut up, mutt. We're here aren't we?" Zoro remarked.

A tick mark formed on Gin's head. "What was that, moss-head?" he yelled.

Before either could get into a brawl, Luffy interrupted with a yell, "There's the ship!" the four had made it to the docks, but it was too late. The Going Merry was unfastened from the port and was drifting away.

"How are going to get on?" asked Alvida.

Zoro and Gin looked at each other with dread and dismay.

"Wait for it." they said in unison, making Alvida look at them oddly before an outstretched arm pulled all three of them tied together. She looked to see Luffy's trademark grin which proved that he had a mischievous idea.

"Eh? Wait, Luffy what are you…?"

She didn't understand what her captain was up to until her eyes widened in horror as Luffy's other arm had stretched far up until he grasped the top of the crow's nest. She looked down to Gin and Zoro who were respectively buried into her large 'assets'.

"Aren't you two going to do something?"

The pair mumbled curses before Luffy relinquished his foothold and they were all shoot into the sky.

* * *

"Where are they?" screamed Nami. Usopp tapped her on the shoulder.

"Nami, look up." she looked him confusedly and did what he said. She peered up at the sky, and saw two things; an outstretched arm and large mass consisting of four people was coming in fast.

"Of course." Nami stated blankly, before ship rocked from the resulting crash.

* * *

Smoker's cigars had fallen completely out of his mouth, his eyes taking in the carnage that ensued in the Marine Base. Tashigi stood right next to him, examining the brutality with horror-filled eyes and a hand clamped over her nose and mouth. The place reeked of blood as the blue and white interior of the base was soiled in it.

Each and every one of their reinforcements that was supposed to show up was dead; each of the soldiers died from sword slashes, some were decapitated, others were mutilated by having their limbs chopped off and split in half from their midsection or straight down the middle.

Smoker's eyes blazed with unfathomable rage and could only utter one sentence.

"Who…? Who did this?"

* * *

End of Chapter 14, Finally! Merry Christmas!


End file.
